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Review article2024Peer reviewedOpen access

Main factors influencing the perceived health risk of endocrine-disrupting chemicals: A systematic literature review

Pravednikov, Aleksandr; Perkovic, Sonja; Lagerkvist, Carl-Johan

Abstract

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are linked to rising health issues such as infertility, childhood obesity, and asthma. While some research exists on health risk perceptions of EDCs, a comprehensive understanding across different populations and contexts is needed. We performed a systematic literature review, examining 45 articles published between 1985 and 2023, focusing on both the risk perception of EDCs as a whole as well as individual EDCs found in the environment (e.g., pesticides, bisphenol A, and phthalates). We identified four major categories of factors influencing EDC risk perception: sociodemographic factors (with age, gender, race, and education as significant determinants), family-related factors (highlighting increased concerns in households with children), cognitive factors (indicating that increased EDC knowledge generally led to increased risk perception), and psychosocial factors (with trust in institutions, worldviews, and health-related concerns as primary determinants). This review highlights the complex nature of EDC risk perception, shaped by sociodemographic, family, cognitive, and psychosocial factors, essential for policymakers in crafting educational and communication strategies. Future research should expand to cover more EDCs, use representative samples, and explore the influence of psychosocial factors on risk perception more deeply.

Keywords

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals; Risk perception; Systematic review; Public health

Published in

Environmental Research
2024, Volume: 262, article number: 119836Publisher: ACADEMIC PRESS INC ELSEVIER SCIENCE

    Associated SLU-program

    SLUsystematic

    UKÄ Subject classification

    Environmental Sciences
    Public Health, Global Health, Social Medicine and Epidemiology

    Publication identifier

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2024.119836

    Permanent link to this page (URI)

    https://res.slu.se/id/publ/132233