The knowledge, attitude, and practices of food handlers in central South African hospices

Abstract

The escalating number of foodborne diseases and food poisoning outbreaks demand a better call for improved food‐handling practices. Hospices are typically described as nongovernmental organizations that offer palliative care to terminally ill patients. The majority of hospice food handlers are not trained in food safety aspects, and services are offered on a voluntary basis. In this study, a descriptive survey design comprising of semistructured questionnaire was utilized to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of the hospice food handlers (n = 100) in hospices around Central South Africa. More than half of the participants (68%) had not taken basic food safety training. The average percentage of the correct answers on the knowledge questionnaire was 66.8%. The participants had a mean age of 35 years (SD = 9.27). Attendance of food safety course had a significant effect on both the practices of using gloves to touch or distribute unwrapped foods (χ2 = 8.411, p‐value = .012), and washing hands after using gloves (χ2 = 12.560, p‐value = .001). The overall KAP mean score was 78.38. A statistically significant difference was found between the trained and untrained food handlers regarding food safety knowledge (p < .001). There was substantial lack of knowledge regarding the correct temperature for a refrigerator including hot ready‐to‐eat food.

Food safety and sanitation challenges of public university students in a developing country

“…In practice, a significant number of Kenyan university students both prepared and served foods with wounds, bruises, or injuries. This is in line with a similar study by Nkhebenyane and Lues ( 2020 ) on South African food handlers where an equally significant majority of food handlers concurred with the fact that wounds pose a health risk to unwrapped foods. On the contrary, a significant majority always choose to continue with their chores, not notifying their supervisors of injuries.…”

“…( 2018 ), where female students were significantly more knowledgeable. Nkhebenyane and Lues ( 2020 ) cited comparable results, after carrying out similar studies in Hospices in South Africa. On the contrary, Unklesbay et al ( 1998 ) found no significant difference between gender scores as both were enrolled in the same food safety course.…”

Food Safety Knowledge and Hygienic Practices among Different Groups of Restaurants in Muscat, Oman

“…However, since the food poisoning outbreaks are not medically and microbiologically investigated in many developing counties, the role of the restaurants as an access of causative pathogens remains unclear. The impact of food safety knowledge among food handlers to minimize the risks of foodborne diseases was evaluated in some studies [ 6 , 7 ]. For instance, in South Africa, attendance of food safety course was found to have a significant effect on some practices, such as wearing gloves and washing hands [ 6 ].…”

“…The impact of food safety knowledge among food handlers to minimize the risks of foodborne diseases was evaluated in some studies [ 6 , 7 ]. For instance, in South Africa, attendance of food safety course was found to have a significant effect on some practices, such as wearing gloves and washing hands [ 6 ].…”

Food Safety and Sanitation Implementation Impasse on Adolescents in Kenyan High Schools

“…In contrast, a study by Thelwell-Reid [34] on the retraining of rural Jamaican food handlers observed that a majority of the population, 76%, had adequate knowledge on the influence of time between the preparation of food and the growth of bacteria. Additionally, Nkhebenyane et al [35] unveiled that the majority (64%) of South African Hospice food handlers were aware of food poisoning risks involved with the early preparation of meals, while a further 68% were conversant with the danger of reheating food before consumption. A substantial percentage (63%) of respondents disagreed with the fact that the HIV virus could be spread through food.…”