Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices towards Food Poisoning among Parents in Aseer Region, Southwestern Saudi Arabia.

Ayed A Shati,Yahya M Alqahtani,Shamsun N Khalil,Shehata F Shehata,Aesha F Siddiqui,Saleh M Al Qahtani,Sultan A Alqahtani,Youssef A Alqahtani,Mohammed S Aldarami

doi:10.3390/healthcare9121650

Abstract

Background: Food poisoning is caused by eating contaminated food. Improper food safety knowledge, poor food handling, and inadequate personal hygiene may allow microbes to grow in sufficient numbers to cause a food-borne illness. The aim of this paper was to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding food poisoning and its determinants of parents in the Aseer region of Saudi Arabia. Methodology: This is a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted on 3011 parents in the Aseer region in the southwest region of Saudi Arabia. An online questionnaire was used to collect the data. The level of knowledge of the participants was scored as a percentage and further classified as “good” or “poor”. Attitudes were classified as “positive”, “neutral”, or “negative” based on a calculated composite mean score. The participants were asked about standard food hygiene practices, and the practices were recorded based on how often they were performed, with the results recorded as “usually”, “sometimes”, or “never”. Results: The age range of the parents was between 18 and 65 years old, with a mean age of 28.9 ± 10.4 years. Among the participants, 96.2% were Saudi, and 81.8% were female. Almost 53% of the fathers and 41% of the mothers were university graduates. About 55% of the mothers were housewives. Almost equal proportions of the parents had “good” and “poor” levels of knowledge on food poisoning. Around 41% of the parents had positive attitudes towards safe food consumption. Older parents (defined as above 30 years of age), males, university graduates, and urban residents had significantly higher levels of knowledge regarding food poisoning. Conclusions: This study provided much needed information on the knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to food poisoning among parents in the Aseer region of Saudi Arabia. Although most respondents reported satisfactory practices, gaps were identified in knowledge and attitudes. This suggests a need for further investigation focused on the observed practices and strengthening health education activities for the community.

Highlights

The burden of foodborne illness is shared among people of all age groups, children, who contribute to one-third of the mortality rate for food poisoning [4]
This study aims to assess parents’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding food poisoning in the Aseer region in southwest Saudi Arabia
This study provided much-needed information regarding the knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to food poisoning among parents in the Aseer region of Saudi Arabia

Summary

Introduction

Foodborne illness (FBI), generally referred to as food poisoning, is caused by the consumption of food contaminated with bacteria, viruses, parasites, or other toxins [1,2]. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that 1 in 10 people in the world fall ill after consuming contaminated food, and a good number of food poisoning cases occurs at home. About two million deaths occur annually due to food poisoning, especially in developing countries [3]. The burden of foodborne illness is shared among people of all age groups, children, who contribute to one-third of the mortality rate for food poisoning [4]. The Eastern Mediterranean region has the third-highest estimated burden of food-borne diseases per population, with more than 100 million people estimated to become ill with a food-borne disease every year. The Eastern Mediterranean region has the third-highest estimated burden of food-borne diseases per population, with more than 100 million people estimated to become ill with a food-borne disease every year. [4]

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