LEARN Lao PDR - Masters thesis: Knowledge, practices and related factors of food hygiene among street food vendors in Vientiane capital
Knowledge, practices and related factors of food hygiene among street food vendors in Vientiane capital, Laos
ABSTRACT
Introduction: One principle of food hygiene requires that there should be minimal handling and sanitary preparation of food items. Food handlers are thus expected to observe proper hygiene and sanitation methods as the chances of food contamination largely depend on their health status and hygiene practices. Attention is also required where foods are often prepared under unsanitary conditions and stored for long periods in unsuitable conditions before selling. Recently the WHO has had a comprehensive goal of urging member countries to ensure safe food intake. In the Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR), it has been estimated that 11% of the under-5 mortality is due to diarrhea because of a lack of good hygiene practices and improper processing handling or storage of food (Houatthongkham et al., 2016).
Methodology: A quantitative descriptive study design was used. Data was collected through interviewing street food vendors using questionnaires and an observational checklist. The study was carried out in four urban districts of Vientiane capital (VTE); the total sample was 196 subjects. The data was entered into the Epidata software version 3.0 and analyzed in the STATA software version 11.0.
Results: A poor level of knowledge and practices among the 196 street food vendors was reported. The scores obtained were lower than the mean value. Of the six knowledge groups about the causes of food contamination, one was significantly associated with practices of hygiene. After multivariate analysis, the other factors related to food hygiene that were positively associated with practices of hygiene (p-value < 0.05) were possession of a health certificate, need to know about food hygiene, training on hygiene, main occupation, and regulation by the local government.
Conclusion: The study identified that the knowledge and practices of street food vendors were at poor levels. There is a need for educational programs to improve knowledge, especially to emphasize translation to practice. In general, insufficient knowledge affects the hygienic practices of street food vendors. In order to find the solutions to the problem of food hygiene in the future, the purpose of this study has been to study the knowledge, practices and its related factors on food hygiene among street food vendors in Vientiane Capital, Laos.
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