Anonymous, "Attitudes of female students towards fragrance-free policies", contributed by , STS Infrastructures, Platform for Experimental Collaborative Ethnography, last modified 18 July 2019, accessed 20 April 2024. https://stsinfrastructures.org/content/attitudes-female-students-towards-fragrance-free-policies
Critical Commentary
In 2018, CSW researchers surveyed 700+ UCLA undergraduates to understand how fragranced products impact educational outcomes and how gender can influence attitudes and behavior regarding fragrance use. We aimed to assess how EDC exposure presented a potential barrier to students with MCS or aversions to fragrances.
The comments demonstrate that more females reported being personally impacted by fragranced products. Males were more accepting of fragranced product use in the context of adhering to social norms. One male commenter wrote: “still would rather have fragranced smells than a smelly classmate who is made fun of or ridiculed for smelling bad.
Respondents were asked to evaluate the statement: “Aerosol sprays, scented personal care products, and/or hand soaps do not contain chemicals.” Eighty-nine percent of respondents (n = 631) disagreed. Fifty-one percent (n = 618) stated that the survey did not cause them to reconsider their fragranced product utilization. Responses revealed that personal attachment to fragrance and fear of bodily odors overrode willingness to alter fragrance product use despite knowledge of toxic exposure. This suggests a gap between knowledge, attitudes, and behavior. While some respondents understand the risk of using such products, some possess a low self-perceived risk, which is not adequate enough to cause a behavior change.