A Study of Consumer Perceptions of the Possible Effects of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals on Prepubescent Development

Abstract

Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are commonly found in many types of personal care products and may cause a variety of problems during a child's development. Since parents and/or guardians typically buy personal care products for their children, they ultimately decide what kinds of ingredients their children are exposed to from these types of products. The researcher designed a survey to examine parents’ awareness and perceptions of these chemicals and explore the factors parents consider when purchasing consumer products for their children. The results show that parents value purchasing consumer products with good ingredients for their children, but the participants had a limited understanding of EDCs and their effects.