Food Protection Trends - September/October 2021 - 507

TABLE 4. Association of knowledge, attitudes, and practices of respondents and their
sociodemographic characteristics (n = 422)
Variables
Knowledgea
Predictors
Education level
Education level
Attitudeb
Education level
Work experience
Practicec
Category
Secondary education and above
Primary school education
Informal education
Secondary education and above
Primary school education
Informal education
Secondary education and above
Primary school education
Informal education
≥2 years
<2 years
Permanent
Employment status Contract
Daily
Knowledge
Good knowledge
Poor knowledge
AOR (95% CI)
1
28.93 (16.14-51.85)
39.95 (9.19-173.70)
1
13.28 (1.728-101.97)
74.86 (9.05-619.22)
1
1.45 (0.78-2.66)
7.88 (2.56-24.25)
1
2.50 (1.132-5.51)
1
10.86 (5.09-23.17)
1.57 (0.90-2.71)
1
3.07 (1.59-5.95)
0.001
a Variables entered: age, employment status, education level, experience, food safety training, and attitude.
b Variables entered: age, employment status, education level, experience, food safety training, and knowledge.
c Variables entered: age, employment status, education level, experience, food safety training, knowledge, and attitude.
The respondents with primary school education (AOR =
13.28, 95% CI = 1.728 to 101.97, P = 0.013) and informal
education (AOR = 74.86, 95% CI = 9.05 to 619.22, P <
0.0001) were more likely to have poor attitudes toward food
safety. Respondents with informal education (AOR = 7.88,
95% CI = 2.56 to 24.25) and contract employee status (AOR
= 10.86, 95% CI = 5.09 to 23.17) were more likely to have
poor food safety practices (P < 0.0001). Respondents with
less than 2 years of work experience (AOR = 2.50, 95% CI =
1.132 to 5.51, P = 0.023) and poor knowledge (AOR = 3.07,
95% CI = 1.59 to 5.95, P = 0.001) were more likely to have
poor food safety practices (Table 4).
DISCUSSION
The study reveals that approximately 56% of the respondents
had a low level of education. This is in accordance
with the study by Matchawe et al. (27) that showed that
most abattoir workers in Cameroon had low levels of education.
This low level of education might negatively affect
food safety, because workers in food processing with a
lower education level may be less likely to follow safe food
handling procedures (14). Generally, the abattoir workers
in this study demonstrated poor food safety knowledge.
The lowest score within the knowledge category was
observed for foodborne illness, with mean score of 19.63.
Similarly, a lack of food handler knowledge on foodborne
pathogens and associated illnesses was reported in Kuwait
and Portugal (3, 20). A lack of knowledge related to foodborne
illness might correlate with the respondents' low
educational status and lack of appropriate on-the-job food
safety training.
In addition, the participants demonstrated poor understanding
about the benefits of sterilization and the general
effect of temperature on microorganisms and bacterial
pathogens. This result corroborates with the work of Bas et
al. (9), which indicated that food handlers in Turkey scored
the lowest in knowledge about critical storage temperature.
The consequences of such a knowledge gap may increase
microbial growth on surfaces, meat, and meat products, leading
to spoilage and potential foodborne disease outbreaks.
Moreover, poor understanding of the effect of temperature
on microorganisms and bacterial pathogens could be a major
hindrance for effective implementation of hazard analysis
critical control point of the production process (39).
September/October Food Protection Trends 507
0.023
0.000
0.111
0.238
0.000
0.356
0.013
0.000
0.206
0.000
0.000
0.525
P-value
Nagelkerke
(R2
)
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