A STUDY ON THE KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE & PRACTICE TOWARDS THE USAGE OF PLASTIC IN DAILY LIFE AMONG THE STUDENTS OF AN INTEGRATED CAMPUS IN ANJARAKANDY, KANNUR
Main Article Content
Keywords
Plastic waste, Knowledge-attitude-practice, Students, Environmental health, Kerala, India, Anti-plastic campaigns, Waste management behaviour.
Abstract
Background: The widespread usage of plastic and its environmental implications have become a global concern, especially in developing nations like India, where urbanization and consumerism have exponentially increased plastic consumption and waste generation. Despite various national campaigns and legislations, knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP) towards plastic usage among youth remain inadequately explored. Aims and Objectives:
To assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding plastic usage among students in Anjarakandy Integrated Campus, Kannur, Kerala, and to identify associations between socio-demographic factors and KAP domains. Materials:: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 300 students from different courses (MBBS, BDS, IPMS,MIT) of Anjarakandy Integrated Campus using a pre-tested, self-structured KAP questionnaire. Data were collected over 12 days in December 2022 and analyzed using SPSS v16. Descriptive statistics and chi-square tests were used to identify associations between variables at a significance level of p < 0.05.
Results: The study population consisted of 63% females and 37% males, with a mean age of 22.48 ± 1.81 years. About 54.6% of participants demonstrated adequate knowledge about plastic pollution, while 52% had a satisfactory attitude and 64% followed good practices. However, critical gaps were noted: only 14% knew plastics were biodegradable, and merely 25% had participated in any anti-plastic drives. Significant associations were found between knowledge and attitude (p=0.049), knowledge and practice (p=0.000), and practice with educational status (p=0.020),
Conclusion: Although a majority of students exhibited awareness and favorable practices, substantial knowledge gaps and limited real-world engagement highlight the need for reinforced educational and behavioural interventions. Incorporating plastic pollution topics into formal curricula and facilitating active student involvement in plastic reduction campaigns could yield long-term environmental and health benefits.
To assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding plastic usage among students in Anjarakandy Integrated Campus, Kannur, Kerala, and to identify associations between socio-demographic factors and KAP domains. Materials:: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 300 students from different courses (MBBS, BDS, IPMS,MIT) of Anjarakandy Integrated Campus using a pre-tested, self-structured KAP questionnaire. Data were collected over 12 days in December 2022 and analyzed using SPSS v16. Descriptive statistics and chi-square tests were used to identify associations between variables at a significance level of p < 0.05.
Results: The study population consisted of 63% females and 37% males, with a mean age of 22.48 ± 1.81 years. About 54.6% of participants demonstrated adequate knowledge about plastic pollution, while 52% had a satisfactory attitude and 64% followed good practices. However, critical gaps were noted: only 14% knew plastics were biodegradable, and merely 25% had participated in any anti-plastic drives. Significant associations were found between knowledge and attitude (p=0.049), knowledge and practice (p=0.000), and practice with educational status (p=0.020),
Conclusion: Although a majority of students exhibited awareness and favorable practices, substantial knowledge gaps and limited real-world engagement highlight the need for reinforced educational and behavioural interventions. Incorporating plastic pollution topics into formal curricula and facilitating active student involvement in plastic reduction campaigns could yield long-term environmental and health benefits.
References
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37. Singh G, Walia Y. Student-led initiatives in plastic waste mitigation: A qualitative review. Indian J Community Med. 2022;47(3):350–356. doi:10.4103/ijcm.IJCM_339_21.
2. UNEP. From Pollution to Solution: A global assessment of marine litter and plastic pollution. United Nations Environment Programme; 2021.
3. OECD. Global Plastics Outlook: Economic Drivers, Environmental Impacts and Policy Options. Paris: OECD Publishing; 2022.
4. National Geographic Society. Plastic Pollution Facts and Figures. 2022. Available from: https://www.nationalgeographic.com
5. CPCB. Annual Report on Implementation of Plastic Waste Management Rules 2022-23. Central Pollution Control Board; 2023.
6. MoEFCC. Guidelines for Extended Producer Responsibility under Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2022. Government of India; 2022.
7. Barboza LGA, Vethaak AD, Lavorante BR, et al. Marine microplastic debris: An emerging issue for food security, food safety and human health. Mar Pollut Bull. 2020;133:336–348.
8. Zhang Y, Chen J, Chen C. Impact of microplastics on soil microbiota and ecosystem functions. Sci Total Environ. 2021;751:141968.
9. Leslie HA, van Velzen MJM, Brandsma SH, et al. Discovery and quantification of plastic particle pollution in human blood. Environ Int. 2022;163:107199.
10. Ragusa A, Svelato A, Santacroce C, et al. Plastic particles in human placentas. Environ Int. 2021;146:106274.
11. WHO. Microplastics in Drinking Water. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2019.
12. MoEFCC. Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2022. Government of India.
13. Haritha Keralam Mission. Annual Progress Report 2022-23. Government of Kerala; 2023.
14. NITI Aayog. Strategy for Sustainable Plastic Waste Management in India. New Delhi: 2022.
15. Thomas B, George T, Kumar S. Knowledge and Attitude toward Plastic Waste and Its Impact among College Students in South India. Indian J Public Health Res Dev. 2021;12(1):54–60.
16. Mathew L, Joseph J. Environmental attitudes and plastic usage behaviour among university students: A cross-sectional study. J Environ Educ. 2023;54(2):162–172.
17. Shah R, Gawade N. Plastic waste management awareness among youth in Maharashtra. Int J Community Med Public Health. 2022;9(3):1321–1327.
18. Vigneshwaran R, Arunkumar B. Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice on Plastic Usage Among Residents of Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu. IOSR J Humanit Soc Sci. 2021;26(3):54–61.
19. UNEA. Draft Global Plastics Treaty Framework. United Nations Environment Assembly; 2023.
20. World Economic Forum. These countries have shown how to fight plastic pollution. 2022. Available from: https://www.weforum.org
21. Singh A, Patel M. Consumer acceptance of biodegradable plastic products: A review. Waste Manag. 2022;132:84–95.
22. Rawat S, Mehta M. Barriers and enablers of sustainable plastic alternative adoption among youth. Sustain Prod Consum. 2023;35:156–167.
23. Jambeck JR, Geyer R, Wilcox C, et al. Plastic waste inputs from land into the ocean. Science. 2020;347(6223):768–771. doi:10.1126/science.1260352
24. United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Turning Off the Tap: How the world can end plastic pollution and create a circular economy. Nairobi: UNEP; 2023.
25. Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC). Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2022. Government of India. Available from: https://moef.gov.in
26. Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Annual Report for Plastic Waste Management 2021-22. New Delhi: CPCB; 2023.
27. Sharma B, Sinha A, Dehingia A. Awareness, perception, and practices toward plastic waste management among urban youth: A cross-sectional study in India. J Environ Public Health. 2023;2023:1–8. doi:10.1155/2023/3456971
28. Swachh Bharat Mission – Urban. Plastic Waste Management: Issues, Solutions and Case Studies. Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Govt. of India; 2021.
29. Nanda S, Berruti F. Municipal solid waste management and landfilling technologies: A review. Environ Chem Lett. 2021;19:1433–1456. doi:10.1007/s10311-020-01100-y
30. Gupta N, Mohan M. Plastics and their harmful effects on environment: A review. Int J Environ Sci Technol. 2022;19(8):7461–7474. doi:10.1007/s13762-021-03599-1
31. Sahu S, Das P, Tiwari S. Public perception and response towards plastic pollution: A survey from Indian urban youth. Waste Manag Res. 2022;40(6):745–753. doi:10.1177/0734242X221087142
32. Rehman H, Ali S, Khan N. Assessing the knowledge, attitude, and practices regarding single-use plastics among students in India. BMC Public Health. 2023;23:1176. doi:10.1186/s12889-023-15721-7
33. World Health Organization (WHO). Microplastics in drinking water: A review. Geneva: WHO; 2019.
34. Ghosh SK, Bandyopadhyay M. A systematic review on plastic waste management: Environmental concerns and sustainable strategies. J Clean Prod. 2023;380:135045. doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.135045
35. Rautela R, Arya D. Impact of plastic pollution on human health and the environment. Environ Sci Pollut Res. 2022;29(10):14047–14060. doi:10.1007/s11356-021-16353-4
36. Ahmad T, Zhang D. A critical review of comparative global plastic waste management practices. Sustainability. 2021;13(21):11720. doi:10.3390/su132111720
37. Singh G, Walia Y. Student-led initiatives in plastic waste mitigation: A qualitative review. Indian J Community Med. 2022;47(3):350–356. doi:10.4103/ijcm.IJCM_339_21.
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Jul 23, 2025
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Dr. Nisanth Prabhakaran, & Dr. Sharanya Kaniambady. (2025). A STUDY ON THE KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE & PRACTICE TOWARDS THE USAGE OF PLASTIC IN DAILY LIFE AMONG THE STUDENTS OF AN INTEGRATED CAMPUS IN ANJARAKANDY, KANNUR. Journal of Population Therapeutics and Clinical Pharmacology, 32(6), 983-992. https://doi.org/10.53555/pytq6284
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Author Biographies
Dr. Nisanth Prabhakaran
Associate Professor of Community Medicine, Department of Community Medicine, Kannur Medical College, Anjarakandy, Kannur, Kerala.
Dr. Sharanya Kaniambady
Associate Professor of Community Medicine, Department of Community Medicine, Kannur Medical College, Anjarakandy, Kannur, Kerala.
How to Cite
Dr. Nisanth Prabhakaran, & Dr. Sharanya Kaniambady. (2025). A STUDY ON THE KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE & PRACTICE TOWARDS THE USAGE OF PLASTIC IN DAILY LIFE AMONG THE STUDENTS OF AN INTEGRATED CAMPUS IN ANJARAKANDY, KANNUR. Journal of Population Therapeutics and Clinical Pharmacology, 32(6), 983-992. https://doi.org/10.53555/pytq6284