Food Protection Trends - August 2008 - 590

Appendix B Focused Discussion Group Guide/Script Thank you so much for attending today. Please make yourself comfortable and feel free to enjoy the food and drinks as we get started. My name is Linda Yarrow and I will be moderating this session. A graduate student will be taking notes and recording the session using a tape recorder. Dr. Remig will be facilitating and observing. We’ve asked you here to learn more from you about your thoughts on food safety and safe food handling. This discussion is part of a larger study funded by the USDA to look at ways to communicate about safe food handling. What we are doing today is called a focused discussion group and will last approximately 90 minutes. This is one of 4 focus groups that we are conducting. I will summarize the comments from all groups but no individual names will be divulged nor will you be identifiable by your comments. You have the right to stop participating at any time without penalty or hard feelings, but of course, we hope you’re here for the duration tonight. The informed consent that you received and completed describes this portion of the study and provides you with contact information. You may take a copy home with you. By signing, you agree to participate in this research project. Please read the form carefully and sign both copies. You will keep one copy for your own records and return the other to me. There are a few procedures that will make this focused discussion group go a little smoother. We are recording the session so please speak clearly and keep responses to one at a time. We will start the focus group with one question that everyone will answer. May we begin with you (student name) and work our way around the table? After that, you are free to answer when you want. If you are quiet for a time, I may call on you specifically. If at any time you are uncomfortable with the questions, you may choose to not answer. As the moderator, my job is to ask questions and probe when needed, but I will neither agree nor disagree with your answer. Feel free to say what you think, even if it differs from what others may say. Does anyone have any questions before we begin? Let’s get started with introductions. Please state your name and how many times you have washed your hands today. than ground meat. Students also incorrectly did not consider raw vegetables to be risky. While we found differences in food thawing and storing practices between the health and non-health majors, the two groups were similar in the two selfreported practices of “not or rarely using a food thermometer” and “eating high risk foods.” More food safety education received in college courses by health majors did not lead to increases in both knowledge and safe self-reported practices. Results similar to these have been reported by others (7, 15). Knowledge did not necessarily lead to improved practices. For instance, health majors indicated they consumed high-risk foods such as raw cookie dough even though they were aware of the food safety risks. Several theoretical frameworks address why students may not have practiced current recommended behaviors (13). The Stages of Change Model identifies five stages through which people move when making health behavior changes. Students may have been in the Precontemplation Stage and may not have perceived their current behavior as being a problem, thus having no interest in making a change. Or students may have been in the Contemplation Stage, recognizing that current behaviors may be a problem and weighing the benefits and risks of changing their behavior. This consideration may have been demonstrated when students were reluctant to give up eating raw cookie dough because short-term benefits (taste) outweighed possible longterm risks (potential illness). Limitations. While our findings provide insight on perceptions of food safety practices, a potential weaknesses of the study is that the subjects may not represent all college students. Other potential weaknesses of our discussion groups include moderator influenced discussions, discussions influenced by dominant members, and the desire to conform to acceptable answers (10). To help overcome these potential weaknesses, discussions were structured to focus on pre-determined food safety questions and students were encouraged to volunteer responses. After initial volunteer responses, other students were called upon by name and encouraged but not required to provide responses. Students were encouraged to express viewpoints even if they did not conform to the majority. Students had low inhibition about revealing their personal food safety behaviors, as evidenced by their willingness to comfortably discuss personal food safety behaviors they knew did not fall within recommended guidelines. Implications. Findings from this study support previous research findings that college students engage in unsafe food practices. The current study also reports data regarding students’ willingness to change and barriers to change, results that have not been reported in previous research. Findings from these structured food safety discussion groups are valuable in understanding food safety concerns, practices, and openness to change among college students. Efforts to positively impact college students’ food safety practices should include consideration of the monetary costs and the amount of time and effort required to change, because students stated that they would be receptive only to changes that were low cost, quick and easy to implement. 590 FOOD PROTECTION TRENDS | AUGUST 2008

Food Protection Trends - August 2008

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