Frequent Plastic Usage Behavior and Lack of Microplastic Awareness Correlates with Cognitive Decline: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Highlights: Public health relevance—How does this work relate to a public health issue? Microplastics are persistent environmental contaminants that enter the human body primarily through ingestion, posing potential neurotoxic risks via oxidative stress and inflammation mechanisms. This study investigates the emerging intersection of environmental health and neurology by examining how daily plastic usage behaviors correlate with neurocognitive function in an adult population. Public health significance—Why is this work of significance to public health? Multivariate analysis indicates that high consumption of single-use plastics is significantly associated with a 41% increase regarding the risk of suspected cognitive impairment (OR = 1.409). The study identifies a critical gap in health literacy, where low awareness of microplastics correlates with higher consumption of single-use plastics, thus potentially increasing exposure to neurotoxic contaminants. Public health implications—What are the key implications or messages for practitioners, policy makers and/or researchers in public health? Public health strategies must integrate environmental sustainability with neurological well-being, emphasizing reducing the consumption of single-use plastics as a preventative measure for cognitive health. Effective interventions require structural policy changes, such as phasing out virgin plastics and enforcing industry transparency, rather than relying solely on individual awareness, which was not found to be an independent predictor of cognitive status. Introduction: Microplastics (MPs) are widespread environmental pollutants with possible neurotoxic effects. Exploring links between plastic use, MP awareness, and cognition is key for assessing public health risks. Objective: To examine correlations between plastic consumption, MP awareness and attitudes, and neurocognitive function among Greater Jakarta residents. Methods: A cross-sectional survey of 562 adults used a validated e-questionnaire covering plastic usage, MP knowledge, attitudes, risk perception, and cognition via the Ascertain Dementia 8 (AD-8). Analyses included chi-square, t-tests, and logistic regression. Results: Suspected cognitive impairment (AD-8 ≥ 2) was observed in 44.5% of respondents. High single-use plastic consumption correlated with worse cognition (p = 0.032), while reusable plastic use showed no association (p = 0.605). Awareness of MPs was relatively low, with 19.4% of respondents having never heard of them. Awareness and knowledge also varied significantly by age (p = 0.007), gender (p = 0.004), and education level (p = 0.027). Positive attitudes and higher risk perception aligned with greater awareness (p < 0.001) but not cognitive scores. Risk perception influenced bottled water use (p = 0.009), with low-risk groups consuming more. Conclusions: Frequent single-use plastic consumption is linked to poorer cognition, while MP awareness and risk perception do not directly affect cognitive outcomes. Educational strategies may enhance awareness and reduce exposure.