PP090 - FOOD-CONTACT MICROPLASTIC EXPOSURE SCALE: DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION

PP090

FOOD-CONTACT MICROPLASTIC EXPOSURE SCALE: DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION

N. KAYA¹, A. BEŞPARMAK^1,*, A. PARMAKSIZ²

¹Nuh Naci Yazgan University, Kayseri, ²Istanbul Health and Technology University, İstanbul, Türkiye

Rationale: The widespread use of plastic products that come into contact with food is considered a significant source that could increase individuals' risk of exposure to microplastics. This study aims to develop a valid and reliable scale for assessing the risk of microplastic exposure based on individuals' daily habits of using plastic products that come into contact with food.

Methods: The initial pool of items was created by a group of experts through a comprehensive literature review. Expert evaluation was conducted for content and face validity. Data was collected from 764 adult participants using a structured online survey. A pilot test was conducted with 35 participants. Construct validity was assessed using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) (n=350) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) (n=414). Reliability was assessed using Cronbach's alpha and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) (n=150).

Results: The CFA results indicated a four-factor structure (Bartlett's sphericity test: χ²(df=120)=2123.4, p<0.001; KMO=0.782). The CFA results showed that the model fit was generally acceptable (χ²/df=2.87, GFI=0.982, CFI=0.941, TLI=0.926, RMSEA=0.067, SRMR=0.080). Cronbach's alpha (0.790) and McDonald's Omega (0.780) values indicated good internal consistency. The ICC for test–retest reliability was excellent (ICC=0.905) for the total scale score. The final version of the Food-Contact Microplastic Exposure Scale (Food-MPE Scale) demonstrates a four-factor structure consisting of 16 items: storage (6 items), hot contact (4 items), awareness (3 items), and daily use (3 items).

Conclusion: The Food-Contact Microplastic Exposure Scale is a valid and reliable scale of individuals' exposure to microplastics from the use of plastic products that come into contact with food. By enabling the assessment of behaviors related to microplastic exposure, the scale can help determine exposure risks in public health research and epidemiological studies.

Disclosure of Interest: None declared