EFFECT OF TRAINING ON FOOD SAFETY AND HYGIENE AMONG FOO D HANDLERS WORKING IN BOARDING SECONDARY SCHOOLS WITHIN JOS , PLATEAU

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EFFECT OF TRAINING ON FOOD SAFETY AND HYGIENE AMONG FOO D HANDLERS WORKING IN BOARDING SECONDARY SCHOOLS WITHIN JOS , PLATEAU

Abstract

Food is an important basic necessity. Its procurement, preparation and consumption are vital
for the sustenance of life. Approximately 10 20% of food borne disease outbreaks is due to
conta mination by food handlers. Therefore, training and sensitizing them on food safety and
hygiene is crucial to the prevention of food borne diseases.
An interventional study carried out among food handlers in boarding secondary schools in
Jos North L.G.A as study group and Jos South L.G.A as control group to determine the effect
of training and sensitization on food safety and hygiene.
Pre-intervention assessment of the knowledge, attitude and practice of food safety and
hygiene was carried out in both s tudy and control groups using a semi structured interviewer
administered questionnaire. A facility observational checklist was used to assess the safety
and hygiene of the food premises and equipment at baseline. Food handlers in the study
group were then trained on food safety and hygiene. After three months, another assessment
was carried out in both study and control groups using the same instruments of data
collection. All data generated at pre and post intervention were processed and analyzed using
EPI info statistical sof tware version 3.5.1. Student’s t test and chi square (X 2 ) test were
applied appropriately for statistical analysis. A 95% confidence level was used for the study
and a P value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
The mean ages of the food handlers in both the study and control groups were 42.07 8.71
years and 41.99 8. 17 years respectively. The food handlers in both the study and control
groups had comparable mean years of work experience, 11.59 8 .05 years for study group
and 11.06 7.13 years for control group. There was significant improvement in the level of knowledge of food safety and hygiene among the respondents in the study group after the
knowledge of food safety and hygiene among the respondents in the study group after the training as 98.5% of the respondents had poor knowledge of ftraining as 98.5% of the respondents had poor knowledge of food safety and hygiene at preood safety and hygiene at pre–intervention and at postintervention and at post–intervention only 2.intervention only 2.3% had poor knowledge 3% had poor knowledge (P <(P < 0.000). T0.000). The he knowledge of hand washing before cookingknowledge of hand washing before cooking improvedimproved from 46.2% at prefrom 46.2% at pre–intervention to intervention to 97.7% at post97.7% at post–intervention (Xintervention (X22 = 85.3; P = = 85.3; P = 0.000). How0.000). Howeverever, , sociosocio–demographic demographic characteristics of the respondents and the knowledge of food safety and hygienecharacteristics of the respondents and the knowledge of food safety and hygiene did not show did not show any significant relationshipany significant relationship..
PPositive attitudinal changeositive attitudinal change was produced by the training as was produced by the training as 64.4%64.4% of the respondent had of the respondent had goodgood attitude towards food safety and hygiene at baseline and attitude towards food safety and hygiene at baseline and 97.7% at post97.7% at post–intervention (Xintervention (X22 = 47.0= 47.0; P = 0.000) in the study group. The attitude of the respondents toward; P = 0.000) in the study group. The attitude of the respondents towards hand washing s hand washing also improvedalso improved significantly after the training as 83.8% significantly after the training as 83.8% of the respondents of the respondents aagreed to hand greed to hand washing before and washing before and during food preparationduring food preparation after the trainingafter the training as against 40.9% who agreed to as against 40.9% who agreed to itit before the trainingbefore the training. . There wasThere was significant relationship between age and attitude of the food significant relationship between age and attitude of the food handlers towards food safety and hygiene after the trhandlers towards food safety and hygiene after the trainingaining as positive attitudinal change as positive attitudinal change improved with advancement in ageimproved with advancement in age (P = 0.0369). Majority (98.5%) of the food handlers in (P = 0.0369). Majority (98.5%) of the food handlers in the study group had good practice the study group had good practice of food safety and hygiene of food safety and hygiene after the training as against after the training as against 51.5% who had51.5% who had samesame before the traininbefore the trainingg (X(X22 = 76.6; P = 0.000)= 76.6; P = 0.000).. TheThe tidtidiness of the food iness of the food premisespremises waswas alsoalso significantly improved by the training significantly improved by the training ((P = 0.054P = 0.054). ).
This study has demonstrated that training and sensitization is effective in improving the This study has demonstrated that training and sensitization is effective in improving the knowledge, attitude and practice of food saknowledge, attitude and practice of food safety and hygiene among food handlers. Therefore, fety and hygiene among food handlers. Therefore, provision of periodic training on food safety and hygiene to food handlers will offer provision of periodic training on food safety and hygiene to food handlers will offer tremendous longtremendous long–term benefit to both the consumers and food handlers. term benefit to both the consumers and food handlers.

EFFECT OF TRAINING ON FOOD SAFETY AND HYGIENE AMONG FOO D HANDLERS WORKING IN BOARDING SECONDARY SCHOOLS WITHIN JOS , PLATEAU

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