Knowledge of good practises and the perception of health risks by food handlers at a public hospital
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.12957/demetra.2022.62503Keywords:
Food Service. Collective Feeding. Food services. Collective food. Hospital food. Food safety. Optimism bias.Abstract
Abstract
Introduction: Despite recent technological advances, foodborne diseases persist as a global public health problem. In this context, outbreaks have been traced to food handlers, due to inadequate personal hygiene and the inadequate food handling. Objective: To evaluate the knowledge of Good Handling Practices (GHPs), the perception of the risk of foodborne diseases, and the existence of the phenomenon known as the optimism bias in the food handlers of a public hospital in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Methods: The present exploratory case study was based on a structured questionnaire divided into three blocks of questions (1 - sociodemographic profile; 2 - evaluation of the knowledge of Good Handling Practices; and 3 - perception of the risk of foodborne diseases and the optimistic bias). The questionnaire was applied to 50 food handlers. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Chi-square test, for the identification of associations, and Student’s t test, to analyze similarities between pairs of means. Results: The majority of the individuals of the sample analyzed were at least 41 years old (70%), female (82%), high school graduates (46%), and had at least 6 years’ experience as food handlers (64%), including participation in training within the three months preceding the study (84%). The average level of knowledge of GHPs was satisfactory. Regarding risk perceptions in foodborne diseases, the respondents also demonstrated high perception to identify sanitary risk, and no evidence of optimism bias was found in their responses. Conclusion: Although the food handlers presented a satisfactory level of knowledge on GHPs, some gaps were observed, and it is still important to evaluate whether this knowledge translates into safe and adequate attitudes and practices.
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