Dietary Behaviors and Risk Awareness Influencing Dietary Chemical Hazard Exposure: A Comparative Study of Singapore Residents Aged 18–25 and 26 and Above

• Young adults’ dietary behaviour raises exposure risk to dietary chemical hazards. • They consume more processed meats, fried food and packaged snacks than older adults. • Cost outweighs concern for chemical risks in food choices across both young and older adults. • Older adults are more willing to change their diets following exposure to knowledge shared. • Age-related differences in information channel preferences suggest tailored communication. This cross-sectional telephone survey study examined dietary preferences, consumption habits, and awareness of dietary chemical hazards among Singapore residents aged 18 years and above (n=1,040), with focused analysis on a young adult subgroup aged 18-25 years (n=399). The study revealed potential differences in process contaminant dietary exposure patterns between young adults and older demographics, attributable to age-specific dietary preferences and consumption behaviours. Young adults demonstrated significantly higher consumption frequencies of processed meats, deep-fried foods, and packaged snacks compared to older age groups, potentially increasing their exposure to process contaminants such as acrylamide and nitrosamines. Young adults exhibited lower concern levels about dietary chemical hazards and less confidence in making informed food choices, with cost being their primary consideration rather than exposure risk to dietary chemical hazards. While approximately three in four young adults indicated willingness to modify consumption patterns after exposure to information about dietary chemical hazards, one in two young adults acknowledged that other factors would likely take precedence over exposure risk to dietary chemical hazards. Logistic regression analysis revealed that there is a baseline willingness to change consumption patterns after exposure to information on dietary chemical hazards while older age groups and individuals of Indian ethnicity showed significantly higher likelihood of willingness to change consumption patterns. Young adults primarily relied on social media and websites for information about dietary chemical hazards, whereas older adults favoured traditional media channels such as newspapers, television and radio. These findings highlight the need for age-tailored interventions that consider both socioeconomic constraints and preferred information channels when addressing dietary chemical exposure risks among the adult population.