Knowledge, attitude and practice of food hygiene and safety among food vendors in a rural tertiary health facility in south South Nigeria
1 Department of Community Health, Ambrose Alli University, Edo State, Nigeria.
2 Department of Surgery, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Medical Services Limited (NMSL), Abuja, Nigeria.
3 Department of Medicine, University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Edo State, Nigeria.
4 Department of Community Medicine, Igbinedion University, Okada, Edo State, Nigeria.
5 Subnational support Department, Nigeria Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Abuja, Nigeria
Research Article
World Journal of Advanced Pharmaceutical and Medical Research, 2024, 07(02), 102–108.
Article DOI: 10.53346/wjapmr.2024.7.2.0043
Publication history:
Received on 11 August 2024; revised on 09 October 2024; accepted on 12 October 2024
Abstract:
Background: Food hygiene and safety is a public health concern that requires the practices to prevent microbial and other contaminants of food from production to consumption.
Study design: A descriptive cross-sectional study.
Methods: One hundred (100) food handlers/vendors from ten food premises within the teaching hospital environment were interviewed using a semi-structured validated questionnaire. All food handlers/vendors who consented to participate in the study were interviewed (total population). Data were entered and analyzed using SPSS version 23. Statistical significance was set at 95% confidence level with p<0.05. Results were presented in tables and charts.
Results: One hundred (100) participants were interviewed and of this, 44% were cooks and 67% had good knowledge of food hygiene and safety. Majority (70%) had positive attitude towards food hygiene and safety and about half (53%) had good practice of food hygiene and safety. Majority of those who had work experience of 26 years and above (77.8%) had good practice and positive attitude (88.9%) towards food hygiene and safety. More with no formal education (62.5%) had good practice of food hygiene and safety but this association was found not to be statistically significant.
Conclusion: Two third of the respondents had good knowledge of food hygiene and safety with majority of them having positive attitude. This positive attitude and good knowledge of the respondents did not quite translate to good practice as only about half of them had good practice of food hygiene and safety.
Keywords:
Food hygiene; Food vendor; Knowledge; Practice; Safety
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