Food Safety Knowledge and Self-reported Practices among Saudi Women

Background: Foodborne diseases due to improper food handling in home kitchens are among the most significant public health challenges worldwide. Objective: This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate food safety knowledge and selfreported practices among Saudi women. Methods: A total of 1490 women, aged between 18 and 60 years participated in this online survey. Collected and cured data were analyzed using descriptive statistics via the SPSS software. Chi-square (X2) test was performed to identify associations between variables. A p-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Participants showed an overall knowledge score of 16.53±2.8/23 points (72%). About 4.5%, 57.5% and 38% had low, intermediate and good knowledge scores, respectively. Women had higher scores of knowledge in personal hygiene (5.2±0.8/6 points) and purchasing and storage (5.8±1.2/8 points) compared to food preparation and cooking (4.5±1.8/8 points). The overall practice score was 35.50±5.53/50 points (71%). About 7%, 52% and 41% of the participants exhibited low, intermediate and good practices scores, respectively. Participants’ practice scores of personal hygiene, utensils and equipment, purchasing and storage, and preparation and cooking were 11.10±2.33/15, 6.38±1.47/8, 8.72±1.84/12 and 9.30±2.08/15, respectively. Among the participants’ characteristics, women aged 26 years and older, those having marriage experience and those with children had significantly h...
Source: Current Nutrition and Food Science - Category: Nutrition Source Type: research