Mucinhato Raísa Moreira Dardaque, da Cunha Diogo Thimoteo, Barros Simone Crispim Fernandes, Zanin Laís Mariano, Auad Lígia Isoni, Weis Grazielle Castagna Cezimbra, Saccol Ana Lúcia de Freitas, Stedefeldt Elke
Postgraduate Program in Nutrition - Federal University of São Paulo - UNIFESP, 862 Botucatu St, Vila Clementino, São Paulo, SP, 04024-002, Brazil.
Multidisciplinary Laboratory of Food and Health, School of Applied Sciences - State University of Campinas - UNICAMP, 1300 Pedro Zaccaria St, Limeira, SP, 13484-350, Brazil.
Food Control. 2022 Apr;134:108719. doi: 10.1016/j.foodcont.2021.108719. Epub 2021 Nov 25.
The epidemiological scenario of COVID-19, social distancing, and business restrictions has increased food preparation and consumption at home. Food mishandling at home can significantly raise the risk of foodborne diseases. This study investigates food-mishandling behavior predictors by applying the extended theory of planned behavior (TPB), with the addition of knowledge and risk perception, to households during the COVID-19 pandemic. One thousand and sixty-eight consumers (n = 1068) in Brazil participated in this study before the COVID-19 vaccination period. Data were collected using an online questionnaire with 40 questions and different anchors; they were analyzed using structural equation modeling. The following original TPB factors positively affected the intention to implement safe food-handling practices: attitude (p < 0.001), perceived behavioral control (p < 0.001), and subjective norms (p < 0.001). More robust effects of attitude and perceived behavioral control on intention were also observed. Although food-safety knowledge did not affect intention (p = 0.30), it positively affected the other TPB factors. Perceived risk positively affected all TPB factors. The results of this study support the usefulness of TPB and its extension, providing evidence that public-health crises can contribute to changes in food-safety-related consumer behavior.
新型冠状病毒肺炎的流行病学情况、社交距离措施和商业限制增加了家庭中的食物制备和消费。在家中不当处理食物会显著增加食源性疾病的风险。本研究通过应用扩展的计划行为理论（TPB），即在TPB中加入知识和风险认知，来调查新型冠状病毒肺炎大流行期间家庭中的食物不当处理行为预测因素。在巴西，1068名消费者在新型冠状病毒肺炎疫苗接种期之前参与了本研究。使用一份包含40个问题和不同锚点的在线问卷收集数据；采用结构方程模型进行分析。以下原始的TPB因素对实施安全食物处理行为的意图产生了积极影响：态度（p < 0.001）、感知行为控制（p < 0.001）和主观规范（p < 0.001）。还观察到态度和感知行为控制对意图有更强的影响。尽管食品安全知识对意图没有影响（p = 0.30），但它对其他TPB因素产生了积极影响。感知风险对所有TPB因素都产生了积极影响。本研究结果支持了TPB及其扩展理论的有用性，提供了公共卫生危机可促使与食品安全相关的消费者行为发生变化的证据。
