Perceptions and awareness of endocrine disruptors among mothers in serbia and health implications

Abstract

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals are significant contributors to various detrimental conditions, mechanistically disrupting the endocrine system and causing adverse health effects. Mounting evidence suggests they can induce multigenerational and transgenerational effects, yet awareness among individuals remain insufficient. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes and ways of informing mothers in Serbia about endocrine disruptors based on information from 190 women in Serbia. The research was conducted using a survey consisting of multiple-choice questions comprising: The first part aimed to collect sociodemographic data, the second part related to knowledge and attitudes about endocrine disruptors, and the third part focused on the sources of information about endocrine disruptors. Cronbach’s alpha was used to check for scale reliability, and Pearson correlation was used to test the relations between interval variables. ANOVA was employed to test for group differences. The results indicated that mothers in Serbia do not have adequate knowledge about endocrine disruptors (potential sources, categories of substances and alternatives) nor confidence in their ability to mitigate exposure to endocrine disruptors. Also, the estimation of the health risks of exposure to endocrine disruptors was perceived as high, and the mothers thought that they should get additional information about endocrine disruptors before pregnancy. Although with several limitations (i.e. mothers were recruited among those with higher education and mainly from urban areas), the study results highlight the necessity for enhanced maternal education in Serbia regarding endocrine disruptors. Health professionals are deemed most suitable for providing this education, given the respondents’ high level of trust in them.