{"id":{"repo_id":"uoit","oai_identifier":"oai:ontariotechu.scholaris.ca:10155/1959"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/uoit/oai:ontariotechu.scholaris.ca:10155/1959","repository":{"repo_id":"uoit","name":"Ontario Institute of Technology","base_url":"https://ontariotechu.scholaris.ca/server/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Developing and evaluating “paraben-free & me”: an educational toolkit that targets parabens exposure reduction from personal care products","abstract":"Women use approximately 13 personal care products (PCPs) daily, exposing them to 114 harmful chemicals, such as parabens, every day. Found in cosmetics and hair products, parabens are linked to increased risks of breast cancer and endocrine disorders. Despite these risks, awareness and risk perceptions about parabens remain low among women. Educational toolkits have the potential to effectively raise awareness and promote positive behaviours regarding environmental health risks. This study aims to create an evidence-informed digital educational toolkit to reduce women's paraben exposure. The research includes three phases: (1) a systematic review identifying the characteristics of existing toolkits and the data collection methods to evaluate them; (2) developing the toolkit using the IDEAS framework and the Health Belief Model; and (3) evaluating the toolkit's effectiveness through a four-week randomized controlled trial among female students in Ontario. Outcomes assessed will include participants’ knowledge, risk perception, beliefs, and paraben-free behaviours.","abstract_html":"Women use approximately 13 personal care products (PCPs) daily, exposing them to 114 harmful chemicals, such as parabens, every day. Found in cosmetics and hair products, parabens are linked to increased risks of breast cancer and endocrine disorders. Despite these risks, awareness and risk perceptions about parabens remain low among women. Educational toolkits have the potential to effectively raise awareness and promote positive behaviours regarding environmental health risks. This study aims to create an evidence-informed digital educational toolkit to reduce women's paraben exposure. The research includes three phases: (1) a systematic review identifying the characteristics of existing toolkits and the data collection methods to evaluate them; (2) developing the toolkit using the IDEAS framework and the Health Belief Model; and (3) evaluating the toolkit's effectiveness through a four-week randomized controlled trial among female students in Ontario. Outcomes assessed will include participants’ knowledge, risk perception, beliefs, and paraben-free behaviours.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["De Michino, Graziella"],"institution":"University of Ontario Institute of Technology","degree_name":"Master of Health Sciences (MHSc)","degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":"Community, Public and Population Health","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Barakat, Caroline"],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2025,"date_issued":"2025-06-01","date_published":"2025-06-01","updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:35:41Z","subjects":[],"languages":["en"],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://hdl.handle.net/10155/1959","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Barakat, Caroline"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["De Michino, Graziella"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2025-07-21T14:04:07Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2025-07-21T14:04:07Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2025-06-01"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Community, Public and Population Health"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Health Sciences (MHSc)"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["University of Ontario Institute of Technology"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["en"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["https://hdl.handle.net/10155/1959"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Women use approximately 13 personal care products (PCPs) daily, exposing them to 114 harmful chemicals, such as parabens, every day. Found in cosmetics and hair products, parabens are linked to increased risks of breast cancer and endocrine disorders. Despite these risks, awareness and risk perceptions about parabens remain low among women. Educational toolkits have the potential to effectively raise awareness and promote positive behaviours regarding environmental health risks. This study aims to create an evidence-informed digital educational toolkit to reduce women's paraben exposure. The research includes three phases: (1) a systematic review identifying the characteristics of existing toolkits and the data collection methods to evaluate them; (2) developing the toolkit using the IDEAS framework and the Health Belief Model; and (3) evaluating the toolkit's effectiveness through a four-week randomized controlled trial among female students in Ontario. Outcomes assessed will include participants’ knowledge, risk perception, beliefs, and paraben-free behaviours."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Developing and evaluating “paraben-free & me”: an educational toolkit that targets parabens exposure reduction from personal care products"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["Barakat, Caroline"],"dc:creator":["De Michino, Graziella"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2025-07-21T14:04:07Z"],"dc:date.available":["2025-07-21T14:04:07Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2025-06-01"],"dc:description.abstract":["Women use approximately 13 personal care products (PCPs) daily, exposing them to 114 harmful chemicals, such as parabens, every day. Found in cosmetics and hair products, parabens are linked to increased risks of breast cancer and endocrine disorders. Despite these risks, awareness and risk perceptions about parabens remain low among women. Educational toolkits have the potential to effectively raise awareness and promote positive behaviours regarding environmental health risks. This study aims to create an evidence-informed digital educational toolkit to reduce women's paraben exposure. The research includes three phases: (1) a systematic review identifying the characteristics of existing toolkits and the data collection methods to evaluate them; (2) developing the toolkit using the IDEAS framework and the Health Belief Model; and (3) evaluating the toolkit's effectiveness through a four-week randomized controlled trial among female students in Ontario. 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