Consumers' perceptions of chemical household products and the associated risks. (September 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Buchmüller, Kim; Bearth, Angela; Siegrist, Michael
• Is Part Of: Food and chemical toxicology. Volume 143(2020)
• Publication Date: 2020-09
• Subjects: Chemical household products -- Risk awareness -- Risk perception; Toxicology -- Periodicals; Food poisoning -- Periodicals; Food Poisoning -- Periodicals; Toxicology -- Periodicals; Toxicologie -- Périodiques; Intoxications alimentaires -- Périodiques; Food poisoning; Toxicology; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 615.9
• DOI: 10.1016/j.fct.2020.111511
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0278-6915

Abstract

Abstract: Accidents with chemical household products are prevalent worldwide and often involve young children. Previous research has shown that consumers use both analytical factors (e.g., warning symbols) and potentially misleading heuristics to evaluate the riskiness. However, it remains unclear whether consumers intuitively think of the specific risks of these products when handling them. We conducted an online survey with Swiss consumers ( N = 1109) aiming to investigate consumer's spontaneous and prompted risk perception of chemical household products. First, we asked them about their free associations to laundry detergent, descaler, mold remover and essential oils. While participants were aware of the risks when prompted about them, they did not name them intuitively, but mainly thought of the possible uses and attributes of the product. Next, we examined prerequisites to safe handling of chemical household products. This included applied knowledge about the products, but also factors like perceived barriers to safe use. Finally, we assessed the predictors of perceived severity of accidents in order to estimate the potential behavioral changes that these predictors might elicit. For interventions, particular attention should be accorded to personal risk awareness and the perception of potential barriers, which were significantly related to the perceived severity of accidents. Highlights: Lay people lack intuitive awareness of the risks of chemical household products. Lay people overestimate their own safety behavior. Chemophobia predicts perceived severity of accidents involving household chemicals. Risk perception of chemical household products by lay people is conditional.