We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Microplastic Threats: Urban–Rural Differences in Knowledge, Risk, and Psychosocial Factors among Households
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers surveyed 600 urban and rural households in Indonesia using structural equation modeling to test how microplastic knowledge, risk perception, and social norms predict pro-environmental behavior, finding that knowledge alone does not drive action — urban respondents were influenced more by attitudes and norms, while rural respondents responded more to perceived risk and behavioral control.
Introduction: Microplastic pollution has emerged as an increasingly urgent environmental problem, highlighting the need to better understand the psychological and social factors that encourage households to engage in pro-environmental behavior. Grounded in the Theory of Planned Behavior, this study examines how microplastic knowledge, risk perception, attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control shape pro-environmental intentions among urban and rural housewives, extending TPB by integrating knowledge and risk perception. Methods: A quantitative research design was applied by distributing structured questionnaires to 600 respondents, comprising 300 urban and 300 rural housewives in Bogor City and Bogor Regency. Data analysis involved independent t-tests to identify differences between the two groups, and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to examine the causal relationships among the studied variables. Results: The results show significant urban–rural differences in microplastic knowledge, risk perception, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control, while attitudes and pro-environmental behavioral intentions are relatively similar across contexts. In urban areas, knowledge significantly influences risk perception, whereas attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control predict pro-environmental behavioral intention. In rural areas, risk perception and perceived behavioral control are the main predictors, with no direct effect of knowledge. Conclusion: Overall, knowledge alone is insufficient to promote pro-environmental behavioral intention. Instead, behavioral intentions follow context-specific pathways, driven primarily by attitudinal and normative factors in urban areas and by risk awareness and perceived behavioral control in rural settings.
More Papers Like This
Investigating the knowledge, attitude and perception on microplastic pollution: a comparison between residents in Temerloh living in urban and rural areas
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers surveyed urban and rural residents of Temerloh, Malaysia, on their knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of microplastic pollution, finding gaps in awareness that contribute to poor waste management behaviours and ongoing environmental contamination.
Always on my mind: Stakeholder perspectives on (micro)plastic pollution in Indonesia
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers surveyed and interviewed hundreds of people in an Indonesian coastal city to understand what drives them to reduce plastic waste and protect their health from microplastic exposure. They found that people who knew more about plastic pollution were more likely to take eco-friendly actions like cutting waste, but simply seeing plastic litter in their own neighborhood didn't necessarily translate into healthier choices like changing seafood consumption, suggesting that awareness campaigns need to go beyond just pointing out the problem to actually change health-protective habits.
Microplastic exposure, public health, and environmental management: insights from behavioural drivers based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour and Health Belief Model
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers interviewed 516 people in Shanghai about their exposure to microplastics and their willingness to reduce use. Using two behavior theories, they found that attitudes, perceived control, social norms, and beliefs about health risks all influenced people's intentions. Most respondents reported frequent exposure to microplastics and recognized them as a health concern.
Pro-environmental behavior regarding single-use plastics reduction in urban–rural communities of Thailand: Implication for public policy
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers surveyed urban and rural residents in Thailand to understand what drives people to reduce single-use plastic use, finding that moral values better explained behavior in city residents while practical reasoning was more influential in rural communities. The findings suggest that plastic reduction policies should be tailored to community context, emphasizing ethics in cities and rational incentives in rural areas.
Awareness, Risk Perception, and Behavioral Responses to Microplastics in Food Packaging: A Structural Equation Modeling Analysis of University Students in Delta State
AI summary Read the abstract
A study of Nigerian university students found that simply knowing about microplastics in food packaging isn't enough to change behavior — people also need to genuinely perceive it as risky before they'll take steps to avoid it, like avoiding certain packaging or changing what they buy. This matters because it suggests that public health campaigns about microplastic contamination should focus not just on raising awareness, but on helping people understand *why* it's actually risky to their health, since that's what actually drives protective action.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.