KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE AND PRACTICES REGARDING FOOD SAFETY AND HYGIENE AMONG FOOD HANDLERS IN A FIELD PRACTICE AREA OF A GOVERNMENT TERTIARY CARE CENTER IN SALEM, TAMIL NADU

Abstract

Background: Food safety is an important public health issue worldwide. Food contamination at different stages of preparation and handling can lead to food-borne diseases, which remain a major cause of morbidity and mortality, particularly in developing countries. Assessing knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) among food handlers is essential for preventing food contamination and improving public health. Objectives: To assess the knowledge, attitude, and practices regarding food safety and hygiene among food handlers in a selected rural area of Salem district, Tamil Nadu, and to determine the association between socio-demographic factors and KAP levels. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 200 households in the field practice area of a government tertiary care center, Salem, Tamil Nadu, from March 2024 to August 2024. Participants were selected using stratified random sampling from the village family register. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire covering socio-demographic characteristics and knowledge, attitude, and practices related to food safety and hygiene. Data were entered in Epi Info and analyzed using SPSS version 21. Descriptive statistics such as frequencies and percentages were used to summarize the data, and the Chi-square test was applied to assess associations between variables. A p-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Among the 200 participants, 47% were aged 31–45 years and 78.5% were females. Good knowledge regarding food safety was observed in 60% of participants, while good attitudes and practices were observed in 57.5% and 66% respectively. About 78.5% were aware of food-borne diseases and 90% knew that hand washing prevents food contamination. Significant associations were observed between knowledge and attitude (p=0.009) and between knowledge and practices (p<0.001). Socioeconomic status and educational level were also significantly associated with knowledge and practices. Conclusion: Although a considerable proportion of participants demonstrated good knowledge and practices regarding food safety, several unsafe food handling practices still persist. Community health education programs and awareness campaigns are essential to improve food hygiene practices and prevent food-borne diseases in rural areas.