Status of food safety knowledge, attitude, and practices of caregivers of children in northern Uganda
Abstract The safety of homemade weaning foods in low‐ and middle‐income countries is of great concern as rural households have limited access to standardized commercial weaning foods. In the Acholi subregion of Uganda, complementary foods are locally produced. However, there is limited information o...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
2023-09-01
|
| Series: | Food Science & Nutrition |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/fsn3.3504 |
| _version_ | 1797688612712611840 |
|---|---|
| author | Eunice Achiro Lawrence Okidi Richard Echodu Simon Peter Alarakol Prossy Nassanga Duncan Ongeng |
| author_facet | Eunice Achiro Lawrence Okidi Richard Echodu Simon Peter Alarakol Prossy Nassanga Duncan Ongeng |
| author_sort | Eunice Achiro |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract The safety of homemade weaning foods in low‐ and middle‐income countries is of great concern as rural households have limited access to standardized commercial weaning foods. In the Acholi subregion of Uganda, complementary foods are locally produced. However, there is limited information on the Food safety knowledge (FSK), food safety attitude (FSA), and food hygiene practices (FHP) of the caregivers. This study examined food safety knowledge, attitude, and practices of the caregivers of children 6–23 months of age in Amuru and Nwoya districts, Northern Uganda, between March 2019 and June 2019. A cross‐sectional study was conducted involving 180 caregivers. Data were collected using semi‐structured questionnaires and focus group discussions and analyzed using descriptive statistics, multivariate binary logistic regression, and thematic content analysis. Caregivers had sufficient FSK (74.1%) and positive FSA (68.1%). However, only 17.6% of them adhered to FHP. Frequency of food safety training (p = .041) and households with children who suffered from foodborne illness (p = .001) significantly predicted FSK. Conversely, both FSK and FSA were significantly predicted by gender roles in decision‐making on household income (p = .006) and households with older children (p = .041). A significant positive correlation was observed between FSK and FSA (r = .406, p = .000). However, major barriers to adherence to FHP were inadequate sanitation facilities and caregiver's workload. The overall nontranslation of sufficient FSK and positive FSA into proper FHP calls for future intervention to harness the sociodemographic factors that influence FSK and FSA and address the barriers to FHP among caregivers. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T01:33:22Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-94639cd8c7bf4d0eba5926aa81c1a534 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2048-7177 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T01:33:22Z |
| publishDate | 2023-09-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Food Science & Nutrition |
| spelling | doaj.art-94639cd8c7bf4d0eba5926aa81c1a5342023-09-11T13:25:12ZengWileyFood Science & Nutrition2048-71772023-09-011195472549110.1002/fsn3.3504Status of food safety knowledge, attitude, and practices of caregivers of children in northern UgandaEunice Achiro0Lawrence Okidi1Richard Echodu2Simon Peter Alarakol3Prossy Nassanga4Duncan Ongeng5Department of Food Science and Postharvest Technology, Faculty of Agriculture and Environment Gulu University Gulu UgandaDepartment of Food Science and Postharvest Technology, Faculty of Agriculture and Environment Gulu University Gulu UgandaDepartment of Biology, Faculty of Science Gulu University Gulu UgandaDepartment of Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine Gulu University Gulu UgandaDepartment of Food Science and Postharvest Technology, Faculty of Agriculture and Environment Gulu University Gulu UgandaDepartment of Food Science and Postharvest Technology, Faculty of Agriculture and Environment Gulu University Gulu UgandaAbstract The safety of homemade weaning foods in low‐ and middle‐income countries is of great concern as rural households have limited access to standardized commercial weaning foods. In the Acholi subregion of Uganda, complementary foods are locally produced. However, there is limited information on the Food safety knowledge (FSK), food safety attitude (FSA), and food hygiene practices (FHP) of the caregivers. This study examined food safety knowledge, attitude, and practices of the caregivers of children 6–23 months of age in Amuru and Nwoya districts, Northern Uganda, between March 2019 and June 2019. A cross‐sectional study was conducted involving 180 caregivers. Data were collected using semi‐structured questionnaires and focus group discussions and analyzed using descriptive statistics, multivariate binary logistic regression, and thematic content analysis. Caregivers had sufficient FSK (74.1%) and positive FSA (68.1%). However, only 17.6% of them adhered to FHP. Frequency of food safety training (p = .041) and households with children who suffered from foodborne illness (p = .001) significantly predicted FSK. Conversely, both FSK and FSA were significantly predicted by gender roles in decision‐making on household income (p = .006) and households with older children (p = .041). A significant positive correlation was observed between FSK and FSA (r = .406, p = .000). However, major barriers to adherence to FHP were inadequate sanitation facilities and caregiver's workload. The overall nontranslation of sufficient FSK and positive FSA into proper FHP calls for future intervention to harness the sociodemographic factors that influence FSK and FSA and address the barriers to FHP among caregivers.https://doi.org/10.1002/fsn3.3504behaviorcaregiverscomplementary foodsfood hygienefood safetyhomemade |
| spellingShingle | Eunice Achiro Lawrence Okidi Richard Echodu Simon Peter Alarakol Prossy Nassanga Duncan Ongeng Status of food safety knowledge, attitude, and practices of caregivers of children in northern Uganda Food Science & Nutrition behavior caregivers complementary foods food hygiene food safety homemade |
| title | Status of food safety knowledge, attitude, and practices of caregivers of children in northern Uganda |
| title_full | Status of food safety knowledge, attitude, and practices of caregivers of children in northern Uganda |
| title_fullStr | Status of food safety knowledge, attitude, and practices of caregivers of children in northern Uganda |
| title_full_unstemmed | Status of food safety knowledge, attitude, and practices of caregivers of children in northern Uganda |
| title_short | Status of food safety knowledge, attitude, and practices of caregivers of children in northern Uganda |
| title_sort | status of food safety knowledge attitude and practices of caregivers of children in northern uganda |
| topic | behavior caregivers complementary foods food hygiene food safety homemade |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/fsn3.3504 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT euniceachiro statusoffoodsafetyknowledgeattitudeandpracticesofcaregiversofchildreninnorthernuganda AT lawrenceokidi statusoffoodsafetyknowledgeattitudeandpracticesofcaregiversofchildreninnorthernuganda AT richardechodu statusoffoodsafetyknowledgeattitudeandpracticesofcaregiversofchildreninnorthernuganda AT simonpeteralarakol statusoffoodsafetyknowledgeattitudeandpracticesofcaregiversofchildreninnorthernuganda AT prossynassanga statusoffoodsafetyknowledgeattitudeandpracticesofcaregiversofchildreninnorthernuganda AT duncanongeng statusoffoodsafetyknowledgeattitudeandpracticesofcaregiversofchildreninnorthernuganda |