Understanding Domestic Food Safety: An Investigation into Self-Reported Food Safety Practice and Associated Factors in Southern Ethiopian Households

Overview

Journal Environ Health Insights

Publisher Sage Publications

Specialty Environmental Health

Date 2022 Jun 16

PMID 35707631

Authors

Bethlehem Yemane

Aiggan Tamene

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: According to available studies, 12%-20% of reported foodborne outbreaks start in the household. It is projected that 1 out of every 10 persons will become ill as a result of consuming tainted food. Poor food handling practices cause 600 million foodborne illnesses each year. In a given year, this leads to 420 000 deaths. In Ethiopia, there is a scarcity of studies on home-food-safety practices and the factors that affect them. This has resulted in a shortage of relevant information on the status of home-food-related illnesses in the country.

Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was carried out from May to June 23, 2021. A standardized and pre-tested questionnaire was used to collect data from 622 households. The total plate count method was used to analyze bacteria on cleaned plates. Epi data version 3.1 was used to enter data, while SPSS version 25 was used to analyze the data. Descriptive statistics and multivariable regression were used to characterize the data and identify factors associated with food safety practices.

Result: 51.1% of the study participants had a safe food handling practice. The mean total plate count was 2.34 CFU/cm. In the multivariable regression, Household wealth (AOR = 2.05, 95% CI [1.01-3.16]), Education (AOR = 3.33, 95% CI [1.41-6.31]), Training (AOR = 2.85, 95% CI: [1.31-3.19]), Knowledge of safe practices (AOR = 1.95, 95% CI [1.23-3.08], and Attitude (AOR = 2.04, 95% CI [1.09, 3.82]) were associated with safe food handling practices.

Conclusion: Although data gathering systems for food-borne diseases typically overlook a large number of home-based outbreaks of sporadic infection, it is now widely understood that many episodes of food-borne sicknesses are caused by individuals' inappropriate food handling and preparation in their kitchens. In the current study, educational status, household wealth, food safety training, attitude, and knowledge about FBDs were found to be strongly associated with safe practices. This implies that public education is a key factor in improving food safety practices at home.

Citing Articles

Food Safety Knowledge, Attitude, and Hygienic Practices of Food Handlers in Yeka Sub-city, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study.

Mulat M, Birri D, Kibret T, Alemu W, Geteneh A, Mihret W Environ Health Insights. 2024; 18:11786302241288855.

PMID: 39399329 PMC: 11467998. DOI: 10.1177/11786302241288855.

Evaluation of irish consumers' knowledge of salmonellosis and food-handling practices.

Conway A, Ehuwa O, Manning M, Maye A, Moran F, Jaiswal A J Verbrauch Lebensm. 2022; 18(1):43-55.

PMID: 36349285 PMC: 9632589. DOI: 10.1007/s00003-022-01405-w.

References

Byrd-Bredbenner C, Maurer J, Wheatley V, Cottone E, Clancy M . Food safety hazards lurk in the kitchens of young adults. J Food Prot. 2007; 70(4):991-6. DOI: 10.4315/0362-028x-70.4.991. View

Zanin L, da Cunha D, de Rosso V, Capriles V, Stedefeldt E . Knowledge, attitudes and practices of food handlers in food safety: An integrative review. Food Res Int. 2017; 100(Pt 1):53-62. DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2017.07.042. View

Langiano E, Ferrara M, Lanni L, Viscardi V, Abbatecola A, De Vito E . Food safety at home: knowledge and practices of consumers. Z Gesundh Wiss. 2012; 20(1):47-57. PMC: 3268974. DOI: 10.1007/s10389-011-0437-z. View

Fung F, Wang H, Menon S . Food safety in the 21st century. Biomed J. 2018; 41(2):88-95. PMC: 6138766. DOI: 10.1016/j.bj.2018.03.003. View

Tessema A, Gelaye K, Chercos D . Factors affecting food handling practices among food handlers of Dangila town food and drink establishments, North West Ethiopia. BMC Public Health. 2014; 14:571. PMC: 4057591. DOI: 10.1186/1471-2458-14-571. View

Agustina R, Sari T, Satroamidjojo S, Bovee-Oudenhoven I, Feskens E, Kok F . Association of food-hygiene practices and diarrhea prevalence among Indonesian young children from low socioeconomic urban areas. BMC Public Health. 2013; 13:977. PMC: 3813984. DOI: 10.1186/1471-2458-13-977. View

Scott E . Food safety and foodborne disease in 21st century homes. Can J Infect Dis. 2007; 14(5):277-80. PMC: 2094945. DOI: 10.1155/2003/363984. View

Okugn A, Woldeyohannes D . Food hygiene practices and its associated factors among model and non model households in Abobo district, southwestern Ethiopia: Comparative cross-sectional study. PLoS One. 2018; 13(4):e0194391. PMC: 5886398. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0194391. View

Tamene A, Afework A . Exploring barriers to the adoption and utilization of improved latrine facilities in rural Ethiopia: An Integrated Behavioral Model for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (IBM-WASH) approach. PLoS One. 2021; 16(1):e0245289. PMC: 7799797. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0245289. View

10.

Byrd-Bredbenner C, Berning J, Martin-Biggers J, Quick V . Food safety in home kitchens: a synthesis of the literature. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2013; 10(9):4060-85. PMC: 3799528. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph10094060. View

11.

Newell D, Koopmans M, Verhoef L, Duizer E, Aidara-Kane A, Sprong H . Food-borne diseases - the challenges of 20 years ago still persist while new ones continue to emerge. Int J Food Microbiol. 2010; 139 Suppl 1:S3-15. PMC: 7132498. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2010.01.021. View

12.

Beyene H, Deressa W, Kumie A, Grace D . Spatial, temporal, and spatiotemporal analysis of under-five diarrhea in Southern Ethiopia. Trop Med Health. 2018; 46:18. PMC: 5987573. DOI: 10.1186/s41182-018-0101-1. View

13.

Pires S, Desta B, Mughini-Gras L, Mmbaga B, Fayemi O, Salvador E . Burden of foodborne diseases: think global, act local. Curr Opin Food Sci. 2021; 39:152-159. PMC: 8216060. DOI: 10.1016/j.cofs.2021.01.006. View

14.

Redmond E, Griffith C . Consumer food handling in the home: a review of food safety studies. J Food Prot. 2003; 66(1):130-61. DOI: 10.4315/0362-028x-66.1.130. View

15.

Robertson L, van der Giessen J, Batz M, Kojima M, Cahill S . Have foodborne parasites finally become a global concern?. Trends Parasitol. 2013; 29(3):101-3. DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2012.12.004. View

16.

Borchers A, Teuber S, Keen C, Gershwin M . Food safety. Clin Rev Allergy Immunol. 2009; 39(2):95-141. DOI: 10.1007/s12016-009-8176-4. View

17.

Teferi S, Sebsibe I, Adibaru B . Food Safety Practices and Associated Factors among Food Handlers of Fiche Town, North Shewa Zone, Ethiopia. J Environ Public Health. 2021; 2021:6158769. PMC: 8709767. DOI: 10.1155/2021/6158769. View

18.

Ehuwa O, Jaiswal A, Jaiswal S . , Food Safety and Food Handling Practices. Foods. 2021; 10(5). PMC: 8143179. DOI: 10.3390/foods10050907. View

19.

Redmond E, Griffith C . The importance of hygiene in the domestic kitchen: implications for preparation and storage of food and infant formula. Perspect Public Health. 2009; 129(2):69-76. DOI: 10.1177/1757913908101604. View

20.

Haileselassie M, Taddele H, Adhana K, Kalayou S . Food safety knowledge and practices of abattoir and butchery shops and the microbial profile of meat in Mekelle City, Ethiopia. Asian Pac J Trop Biomed. 2013; 3(5):407-12. PMC: 3642452. DOI: 10.1016/S2221-1691(13)60085-4. View