Alhuzaimi Abdullah, Aljamaan Fadi, Al-Ajwad Fatema H, Alabdulkareem Wejdan, Alshahrani Fatimah S, Altamimi Ibraheem, Al-Eyadhy Lama, Bukhari Abdullah, BinOmair Alanoud, Al-Subaie Sarah, Shayah Yamen, Alhaboob Ali, Alanteet Alaa A, Alanteet Abeer, Alharbi Mohammad, Jamal Amr, Barry Mazin, Assiri Rasha Assad, Alhasan Khalid, Al-Tawfiq Jaffar A, Temsah Mohamad-Hani
College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Pediatric Cardiology Department, Cardiac Science Department, King Saud University Medical City, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Medicine (Baltimore). 2025 Apr 11;104(15):e41593. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000041593.
To investigate food poisoning knowledge, risk perception and safe food handling practices among Saudi Arabian public following foodborne botulism outbreak. A cross-sectional survey targeting the Saudi Arabian public between May 6 to 20, 2024, following the first foodborne botulism outbreak. Infectious disease and public health experts developed survey questions according to Saudi Public Health Authority and Ministry of Health (MOH) guidelines, and distributed surveys through social media. Of 3779 participants, 73.1% were female and 50.1% were aged 18 to 24 years. Almost one-third (30.2%) reported a previous food poisoning experience, with an incidence of 71.7 cases per 1000 person years. The most common perceived source of FP was restaurants foods (80.3%). The overall knowledge score of the participants regarding food poisoning was 3.42 ± 1.57 out of 7. The mean food safety practice score was 3.70 ± 1.42 out of 9. Multivariable regression analysis showed individuals aged 35 years or older (β = 0.205, P < .001), those who were married (β = 0.204, P = .003), participants with previous (FP) experience (β = 0.089, P = .009), and those who relied on information from the Ministry of Health or medical publications regarding FP (P < .001) exhibited significantly higher practice scores than other groups. The least adherence to safe practices were noted among the following: routine use of thermometer during cooking (2.7%), avoidance of washing raw chicken (13.7%) and washing hands after using cellphone during cooking (26.1%). The FP knowledge score did not correlate significantly with practice score (P = .065). This study highlights the significant knowledge gaps and inadequate food safety practices among the public in Saudi Arabia. Although certain groups, including adults (>35 years), married individuals, and those with previous food poisoning experience, showed greater adherence to safe food handling practices, adherence to specific preventive measures remained generally low. These findings highlight the need for targeted educational initiatives and interventions to improve food safety awareness and practices across diverse demographic groups in Saudi Arabia. The integration of generative AI tools, such as ChatGPT, as a public resource for food poisoning information, presents a new opportunity, but it requires further research and development to ensure accuracy and reliability.
为调查沙特阿拉伯公众在食源性肉毒中毒疫情后对食物中毒的认知、风险感知及安全食品处理行为。在2024年5月6日至20日对沙特阿拉伯公众开展了一项横断面调查，此次调查是在首次食源性肉毒中毒疫情之后进行的。传染病和公共卫生专家根据沙特公共卫生管理局和卫生部（MOH）的指南制定了调查问卷，并通过社交媒体进行发放。在3779名参与者中，73.1%为女性，50.1%年龄在18至24岁之间。近三分之一（30.2%）的人报告有过食物中毒经历，发病率为每1000人年71.7例。最常被认为是食物中毒来源的是餐馆食物（80.3%）。参与者关于食物中毒的总体知识得分在7分制中为3.42±1.57分。食品安全行为平均得分在9分制中为3.70±1.42分。多变量回归分析显示，35岁及以上的个体（β=0.205，P<0.001）、已婚者（β=
