Knowledge, Attitude, Practice and Food Poisoning Associated Factors Among Parents in Bench-Sheko Zone, Southwest Ethiopia

Food Safety Concerns and Practices Among Palestinian University Students: A Cross-Sectional Study

University students constitute a target for risk-reduction interventions regarding food poisoning as they are among those with higher exposure to problematic food. This is particularly important since young adults’ knowledge regarding measures to prevent foodborne illnesses was found to be inadequate. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to assess knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding food safety and food poisoning among An-Najah National University Students and to investigate the correlation of their knowledge, attitudes, and practices with various socio-demographic characteristics and academic variables. The cross-sectional design was used, and the study occurred at An-Najah National University in Nablus. Data was collected using a native Arabic language face-to-face questionnaire. Verbal consent was obtained before initiation. The questionnaire has four parts that address students’ demographic data, knowledge, attitudes, and practice. A sample of 450 students was invited to complete the questionnaire. Half the respondents were aged 17 to 20, and more than half (57.1%) were females. The median knowledge score was 10.00 [8.75–12.0]. A significant correlation was found between the food poisoning knowledge and attitude scores of students ( r = .339, p < .001), a significant correlation between food poisoning knowledge and attitude scores ( r = .285, p < .001), and a significant correlation between attitude and practice scores ( r = .429, p < .001). The current study found significant correlations between knowledge, attitude, and practices of university students regarding food safety. Female respondents also had better attitudes and more hygienic food practices. The results can help students prepare effective methods to understand food poisoning better and improve their knowledge and awareness. The study also indicates that more comprehensive and focused education regarding food safety is required for this population.

Hygiene-related knowledge, attitude and practice: An imperative study among primary caregivers of the under three aboriginal children in Malaysia

BACKGROUND

Parental and caregivers' hygiene-related knowledge, attitude and practice are compelling factors in the prevention of stunting and malnutrition among the aboriginal children in Malaysia, which are highly modifiable. This study was conducted to explore the knowledge, attitude and practice related to hygiene among primary caregivers of the under three aboriginal (known as Orang Asli) children community in Malaysia.

METHODS

A total of 166 primary caregivers of the under three children of the aboriginal community in Kuala Langat district, Selangor were recruited. Data related to caregivers', child's and environmental factors were collected using a validated and reliable questionnaire, with knowledge, attitude and practice being the dependent variables. IBM Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 25.0 was used to analyse the data. Pearson's correlation was conducted to identify the relationship between continuous data. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to determine the relationship between knowledge, attitude and practice related to hygiene, as well as the predictors.

RESULTS

The mean scores for knowledge, attitude and practice related to hygiene were 6.91 (2.12), 23.67 (3.16), 29.97 (3.55) and 43.05 (4.41), respectively. Significant moderate positive correlations were found between attitude and hygiene practice (r = 0.445, P < 0.001). Self-efficacy was significantly correlated with attitude (r = 0.442, P < 0.001) and practice (r = 0.557, P < 0.001), with every unit increase in self-efficacy will predict 0.281 and 0.536 increase in attitude (B = 0.281, 95% CI: 0.126-0.435) and practice (B = 0.536, 95% CI: 0.348-0.725) scores respectively.

CONCLUSION

Moderate mean scores for hygiene related knowledge, attitude and practice were observed in this study, with self-efficacy being a significant predictor for both hygiene-related attitude and practice but not knowledge. The self-efficacy of the caregivers should be sustained through continuous health education and counselling, to ensure improved hygiene practice. Future related research should consider the mediating role of self-efficacy on attitude and practice.