Perceptions and Attitudes of Gynecologic and Pediatric Professionals Regarding Dietary Exposure to Chemical Pollutants
There is increasing concern regarding the potential implications of continuous dietary exposure to low doses of artificial chemical pollutants, particularly in critical life stages such as pregnancy and lactation. Within a wider social research, we analyzed the risk perception, discourses, and attit...
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doaj-dd534a82ec50470188ddd09f4a6c940a2020-11-25T02:24:28ZengMDPI AGInternational Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health1661-78271660-46012020-06-01173946394610.3390/ijerph17113946Perceptions and Attitudes of Gynecologic and Pediatric Professionals Regarding Dietary Exposure to Chemical PollutantsJuan Pedro Arrebola0Araceli Muñoz1Silvia Ferrero2Cristina Larrea-Killinger3Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, SpainSchool of Social Work, University of Barcelona, 08035 Barcelona, SpainObstetrics and Gynecology, Sant Joan de Déu University Hospital, 08950 Barcelona, SpainCIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), 28029 Madrid, SpainThere is increasing concern regarding the potential implications of continuous dietary exposure to low doses of artificial chemical pollutants, particularly in critical life stages such as pregnancy and lactation. Within a wider social research, we analyzed the risk perception, discourses, and attitudes of health professionals regarding dietary exposure to artificial chemical contaminants. Data was collected by personal interviews on 35 health professionals from two Spanish regions. Although the participants’ discourses were strongly dominated by the nutritional composition and microbiological contamination, 34 expressed some concern regarding metals, and 23 regarding pesticides. Although only one participant mentioned a plasticizer (i.e., bisphenol A), we noted an underlying concern, since six professionals admitted to recommending pregnant women to somewhat avoid plastic food containers, and were aware of mother-to-child transmission and accumulation of artificial chemicals. The ubiquity of the exposure, the inability to locate the threat, and contradictory messages can all create a sense of helplessness and subsequent cognitive adjustments. Our participants also reported a lack of information, particularly on emerging pollutants. In conclusion, we found a range of valuable discourses that can aid in orienting public health strategies aimed at health professionals who have a substantial influence on their patients.https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/11/3946risk perceptionattitudeshealth professionalschemical pollutantsfoodmercury |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Juan Pedro Arrebola Araceli Muñoz Silvia Ferrero Cristina Larrea-Killinger |
spellingShingle |
Juan Pedro Arrebola Araceli Muñoz Silvia Ferrero Cristina Larrea-Killinger Perceptions and Attitudes of Gynecologic and Pediatric Professionals Regarding Dietary Exposure to Chemical Pollutants International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health risk perception attitudes health professionals chemical pollutants food mercury |
author_facet |
Juan Pedro Arrebola Araceli Muñoz Silvia Ferrero Cristina Larrea-Killinger |
author_sort |
Juan Pedro Arrebola |
title |
Perceptions and Attitudes of Gynecologic and Pediatric Professionals Regarding Dietary Exposure to Chemical Pollutants |
title_short |
Perceptions and Attitudes of Gynecologic and Pediatric Professionals Regarding Dietary Exposure to Chemical Pollutants |
title_full |
Perceptions and Attitudes of Gynecologic and Pediatric Professionals Regarding Dietary Exposure to Chemical Pollutants |
title_fullStr |
Perceptions and Attitudes of Gynecologic and Pediatric Professionals Regarding Dietary Exposure to Chemical Pollutants |
title_full_unstemmed |
Perceptions and Attitudes of Gynecologic and Pediatric Professionals Regarding Dietary Exposure to Chemical Pollutants |
title_sort |
perceptions and attitudes of gynecologic and pediatric professionals regarding dietary exposure to chemical pollutants |
publisher |
MDPI AG |
series |
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health |
issn |
1661-7827 1660-4601 |
publishDate |
2020-06-01 |
description |
There is increasing concern regarding the potential implications of continuous dietary exposure to low doses of artificial chemical pollutants, particularly in critical life stages such as pregnancy and lactation. Within a wider social research, we analyzed the risk perception, discourses, and attitudes of health professionals regarding dietary exposure to artificial chemical contaminants. Data was collected by personal interviews on 35 health professionals from two Spanish regions. Although the participants’ discourses were strongly dominated by the nutritional composition and microbiological contamination, 34 expressed some concern regarding metals, and 23 regarding pesticides. Although only one participant mentioned a plasticizer (i.e., bisphenol A), we noted an underlying concern, since six professionals admitted to recommending pregnant women to somewhat avoid plastic food containers, and were aware of mother-to-child transmission and accumulation of artificial chemicals. The ubiquity of the exposure, the inability to locate the threat, and contradictory messages can all create a sense of helplessness and subsequent cognitive adjustments. Our participants also reported a lack of information, particularly on emerging pollutants. In conclusion, we found a range of valuable discourses that can aid in orienting public health strategies aimed at health professionals who have a substantial influence on their patients. |
topic |
risk perception attitudes health professionals chemical pollutants food mercury |
url |
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/11/3946 |
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