Public awareness, knowledge gaps, and health anxiety concerning microplastics in human blood
A cross-sectional survey of Indian adults
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22069546 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Abdullah M AlShahrani (0000-0002-9433-1913, King Khalid University), Anupriya Kumari (0009-0007-5414-106X, Savitribai Phule Pune University), Ajay Kumar Behera (0000-0003-0451-5696, Indira Gandhi National Open University), S Rehan Ahmad (0000-0003-0796-5238, Pharmaceutical Biotechnology (Czechia)) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 14 |
| Pages | 1786204-1786204 |
| Publication date | 2026-03-11 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Frontiers in Public Health (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2296-2565 • E-ISSN: 2296-2565 |
| Publisher | Frontiers Media SA (PUBLISHER • CH) |
| DOI | 10.3389/fpubh.2026.1786204 |
| PMID | 41889625 |
| OpenAlex | W7134899258 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 34 |
Background The detection of microplastics (MPs) in human blood has sparked global concern, yet public understanding and associated anxiety in high-exposure regions like India remain underexplored. Methods This cross-sectional survey (September 2023–March 2025) involved 1,200 Indian adults using stratified sampling across age, gender, education, income, and urban/rural residence. A validated 30-item questionnaire assessed awareness sources, knowledge accuracy, and MP-specific anxiety (adapted GAD-7). Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and multivariate logistic regression in R (v4.3.1). Results 75% of participants were aware of MPs in blood (primarily via social media, 58%), but only 28% correctly identified ingestion as the main pathway and 25% understood realistic health implications (e.g., inflammation, potential coagulation effects). Mean anxiety score was 7.8 ± 3.2 (mild–moderate), with higher levels among social media users (OR = 1.7, p < 0.001) and those with low health literacy (OR = 2.3, p < 0.001). Younger adults (18–35 years) showed highest awareness (82%) but also misinformation (e.g., 45% linking MPs directly to cancer). Conclusion Significant gaps persist between awareness and evidence-based knowledge, fueling unnecessary anxiety. Targeted media literacy and public health campaigns are essential in India and similar settings
Anxiety · Health literacy · Logistic regression · Microplastics · Misinformation · Public health · Social media · Stratified sampling · Effects and risks of endocrine disrupting chemicals · Health, Environment, Cognitive Aging · Microplastics and Plastic Pollution
| Highly cited | No |
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