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Awareness, Risk Perception, and Behavioral Responses to Microplastics in Food Packaging: A Structural Equation Modeling Analysis of University Students in Delta State
Summary
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.
Microplastic (MP) contamination originating from food packaging has become an emerging environmental and public health concern, yet the behavioural mechanisms through which consumers perceive and respond to this exposure pathway remain poorly understood. This study investigated undergraduate students' awareness, risk perception, purchasing behaviour, and behavioural responses to microplastics in food packaging used in campus cafeterias at Dennis Osadebay University, Asaba, Nigeria. Specifically, it examined whether risk perception mediates the relationship between awareness of microplastics and behavioural responses aimed at reducing exposure. A cross-sectional survey design was adopted, and data were collected from 430 undergraduate students using a structured questionnaire. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was employed to evaluate the hypothesized relationships among awareness, risk perception, purchasing behaviour, and behavioural response. The measurement model demonstrated satisfactory psychometric properties, with Cronbach's alpha ranging from 0.811 to 0.917, Composite Reliability from 0.884 to 0.931, and Average Variance Extracted from 0.511 to 0.574. The structural model exhibited excellent fit (χ²/df = 1.95, CFI = 0.940, TLI = 0.930, RMSEA = 0.047, SRMR = 0.058). Awareness significantly influenced risk perception (β = 0.562, p < 0.001), purchasing behaviour (β = 0.583, p < 0.001), and behavioural response (β = 0.298, p < 0.001). Risk perception also significantly predicted purchasing behaviour (β = 0.214, p < 0.001) and behavioural response (β = 0.317, p < 0.001). Mediation analysis revealed a significant indirect effect of awareness on behavioural response through risk perception (β = 0.213, 95% CI = 0.154–0.273), confirming partial mediation. The model explained 67.3% of the variance in behavioural response. The findings demonstrate that awareness-driven risk appraisal is a key mechanism through which students translate knowledge of microplastic contamination into exposure-reduction behaviours. The study provides empirical evidence to support environmental health education, risk communication strategies, and sustainable food-packaging policies aimed at reducing microplastic exposure among university populations.