Alkhamis Zainab Z, Musthafa Hana M, Al-Hamadani Mohammed Ali, Sreejith Anusha, Ali Syed Zain
Internal Medicine, Gulf Medical University, Ajman, ARE.
Community and Family Medicine, Gulf Medical University, Ajman, ARE.
Cureus. 2024 Feb 19;16(2):e54451. doi: 10.7759/cureus.54451. eCollection 2024 Feb.
Background Food is handled by many individuals in large food setups, therefore increasing the chance of contamination that leads to foodborne diseases (FBDs). This study was purposed to evaluate adults' understanding of food safety, FBDs, and hygiene practices across various demographic groups in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and to explore the link between their knowledge of food safety and their corresponding attitudes. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted with 402 adults using a validated, self-administered questionnaire available in both printed and online formats. The study was carried out at Gulf Medical University and Thumbay hospitals and clinics over six months, beginning in December 2022 to June 2023. Data analysis was performed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 26.0 (Released 2019; IBM Corp., Armonk, New York, United States). The chi-squared test was employed to examine the association between variables, and significant associations were further analyzed through logistic regression. Results Out of the 402 participants, the population was predominantly female 275 (67.9%), and from Southeast Asia 222 (55.4%), with students comprising the largest occupational group 186 (47%). Only 106 (26.36%) had received food safety training, and a mere 187 (46.51%) demonstrated adequate knowledge. Awareness levels varied, with the highest for raw food safety (64.02%) and the lowest for canned foods (40.79%). Demographic analysis revealed significant associations: males exhibited more inadequate knowledge 79 (62.2%) than females 136 (49.4%), and students showed higher inadequacy 104 (55.9%) compared to healthcare workers 31 (35.6%). Positive attitudes towards food safety were prevalent 226 (56.2%), and positive attitudes were found in women 157 (57.1%), individuals above 30 years of age 110 (50.5%), individuals working in healthcare 140 (62%), and married individuals 117 (60.9%). With a strong correlation (p<0.001), women were 1.68 times more likely to possess adequate knowledge than men (95% CI: 1.09, 2.59), and healthcare workers were 2.33 times more likely than students (95% CI: 1.37, 3.95). Conclusion The study reveals a low level of knowledge about food safety among adults in the UAE. Therefore, emphasis should be placed on increasing awareness of these concepts to reduce the burden of FBDs on the healthcare system.
背景 在大型食品经营场所，食物由许多人经手，因此增加了污染的可能性，进而导致食源性疾病（FBDs）。本研究旨在评估阿拉伯联合酋长国（UAE）不同人口群体的成年人对食品安全、食源性疾病和卫生习惯的理解，并探讨他们的食品安全知识与相应态度之间的联系。方法 采用经过验证的、可打印和在线填写的自填式问卷，对402名成年人进行了横断面研究。该研究于2022年12月至2023年6月在海湾医学大学以及Thumbay医院和诊所进行，为期六个月。使用IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows 26.0版（2019年发布；IBM公司，美国纽约州阿蒙克）进行数据分析。采用卡方检验来检验变量之间的关联，并通过逻辑回归对显著关联进行进一步分析。结果 在402名参与者中，以女性为主，有275人（67.9%），来自东南亚的有222人（55.4%），学生是最大的职业群体，有186人（47%）。只有106人（26.36%）接受过食品安全培训，仅有187人（46.51%）具备足够的知识。认知水平各不相同，生食安全方面的认知最高（64.02%），罐装食品方面的认知最低（40.79%）。人口统计学分析显示存在显著关联：男性知识不足的比例更高，为79人（62.2%），而女性为136人（49.4%）；与医护人员相比，学生知识不足的比例更高，为104人（55.9%），而医护人员为31人（35.6%）。对食品安全持积极态度的情况普遍存在，有226人（56.2%），女性中有157人（57.1%）、30岁以上的个体中有110人（50.5%）、从事医疗保健工作的个体中有140人（62%）以及已婚个体中有117人（60.9%）持积极态度。具有很强的相关性（p<0.001），女性拥有足够知识的可能性是男性的1.68倍（95%置信区间：1.09，2.59），医护人员拥有足够知识的可能性是学生的2.33倍（95%置信区间：1.37，3.95）。结论 该研究揭示了阿联酋成年人对食品安全的认知水平较低。因此，应着重提高对这些概念的认识，以减轻食源性疾病对医疗系统的负担。
