Abstract
Antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) bacteria spread via food to humans and can seriously impair infection treatment. Hygienic food handling is an effective measure to avoid the transmission of bacteria. Therefore, we tested three types of interventions (tailored, generic, and no intervention) for their effectiveness in improving consumers’ hygienic food handling against the spread of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria through foods in a longitudinal randomized control trial. We based the determinants of hygienic food-handling behavior on the Health Action Process Approach (HAPA). The tailored intervention raised self-reported hygienic food handling, self-efficacy, and perceived likelihood of risk compared to no intervention. Moreover, interventions yielded different effects for participants with high vs. low intentions to improve their food-handling behavior. However, there were no differences between the tailored and generic interventions. More research is needed to find out whether including other behavior change techniques in the tailored intervention may increase the effect of tailoring.
Highlights
Hygienic food handling is regarded as an effective and simple measure in preventing foodborne infections [1]
The independent t-test indicated that participants in the generic intervention condition (M = 4.67, SD = 0.73) evaluated the received information significantly more positively than participants in the tailored intervention condition (M = 3.83, SD = 0.50), t(226) = 10.16, p = 0.001, d = 1.33. This two-month intervention study evaluated consumers’ hygienic food handling and Health Action Process Approach (HAPA) variables after receiving a tailored intervention compared to receiving a generic intervention or no intervention
We could not find a superior effect of the tailored intervention on food handling or the HAPA constructs compared to the generic intervention
Summary
Hygienic food handling is regarded as an effective and simple measure in preventing foodborne infections [1]. These infections can be caused by antimicrobial-resistant (AMR). Many consumers are unaware of their responsibility to prevent AMR as they do not see their behavior as potentially hazardous [4]. They do not follow recommended hygienic food practices for cooking animal food products, e.g., [5,6], raw meat, especially raw poultry, constitutes a risk for harboring AMR bacteria [7,8]. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a tailored online intervention compared with a nontailored online intervention and with no intervention in increasing hygienic food-handling behavior among consumers
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