Evaluation of food safety curriculum effectiveness: A longitudinal study of high-school-aged youths’ knowledge retention, risk-perception, and perceived behavioral control

Abstract

Societal changes have prompted the elimination of Family and Consumer Science courses from many schools and the reduction of food-handler role models at home. Declining opportunities for youth to acquire food-handling knowledge and skills increases their risk of contracting a foodborne illness. Many youths are employed in food service and could perpetuate the spread of foodborne illness. In this study, two food safety curricula were evaluated for effectiveness in changing the food safety knowledge, risk-perception, and perceived behavioral control (PBC) of high school students enrolled in microbiology and agriculture courses, immediately following and one year after an educational intervention. One curriculum utilized the Positive Deviance (PD) model, while the other utilized Experiential Learning (EL) methods. Survey questions related to risk-perception and PCB were measured on a five-point Likert scale. Twenty-four knowledge questions were assigned one point for each correct answer and zero points for incorrect answers. Risk-perception and PBC continued to increase from the post-survey to the follow-up survey among the PD and EL Groups. After the educational intervention, the EL Group perceived themselves to be at a greater risk for contracting a foodborne illness and became significantly more confident in their abilities to clean food-contact surfaces, store food safely, and prepare food that is safe to eat. Knowledge scores also significantly increased among the PD (16.88–18.78) and EL (16.66–18.81) Groups. After one year, only the EL Group scored significantly higher on the follow-up survey (18.87) than on the pre-survey (16.66). Microbiology students achieved the highest knowledge scores (20.47) after the educational intervention; however, their knowledge gain significantly attenuated (19.39) after one year. Students reported sharing food safety information with family to improve food-handling behaviors. This study demonstrates the need for continued food safety education to retain knowledge and highlights the study's curricula continued influence on students' risk-perception and PBC.