Knowledge, Attitude, Practice and Food Poisoning Associated Factors Among Parents in Bench-Sheko Zone, Southwest Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND

Food poisoning is a food borne disease, mainly resulting from ingestion of food that contains a toxin, chemical or infectious microorganisms like bacteria, virus, parasite, or prion. On the other hand, avoiding food contamination during preparing and feeding is a key factor for reducing the prevalence of food poisoning. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude, self-reported practice and food poisoning associated factors among parents in the selected health centers of Bench-Sheko Zone in Ethiopia.

METHODS

An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 408 systematically selected parents in Bench-Sheko zone, Ethiopia. The data were collected through face to face interview using a structured questionnaire.

RESULTS

The median knowledge score was 8.0 with an interquartile range (IQR) of 8.0-10.0. The median attitude score was 9.0 with an IQR of 6.0-9.0. The median practice score was 12.0 with an IQR of 10.0-13.0. A positive correlation was seen between knowledge and attitudes of parents with food poisoning (r= 0.321, < 0.026), between knowledge and practices of parents towards food poisoning (r= 0.312, < 0.001) and between attitude and practices result towards food poisoning (r= 0.224, < 0.031). The parents with a higher education level, employed and who live in a city were the factors significantly associated with higher knowledge scores ( < 0.05). The improved attitude was seen as educational level increased ( <0.05). The parents with female gender, employed and who live in a city were significantly associated with higher hygienic practices towards the prevention of food poisoning ( <0.05).

CONCLUSION

The knowledge, attitude, and self-reported practices of parents regarding food poisoning prevention are associated with each other and are affected by socio-demographic variables. Therefore, adequate emphasis should be given by health sectors to designing strong strategies which address the specific contributing factors for the problem.