Assessment of knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding food safety among street food vendors and consumers in Bangladesh.

BACKGROUNDS

Nuclear family structures and lack of intimacy among household members, brief time for food preparation, along with other factors, have greatly altered consumers' food consumption and selection.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) level among street food consumers and vendors regarding food safety.

METHODS

A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among street food consumers (n = 300) and vendors (n = 300) in Jashore district, Bangladesh. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was conducted to explore the factors associated with the KAP level of the respondents.

RESULTS

The average knowledge mean (SD) score was found to be 17.23 (3.54) (good) among the vendors, and the average knowledge mean (SD) score was identified as 12.07 (2.83) (good) among the consumers. On the other hand, the average attitude score was found to be 26.59 (4.99) (medium) among the vendors, and the average attitude score was identified as 18.71 (4.08) (medium) among the consumers. We also observed that the vendors had an average practice score of 25.11 (6.25) (medium), while the consumers had an average practice score of 16.18 (4.82) (medium). Education level was found to be associated with the KAP level of the respondents.

CONCLUSIONS

In conclusion, knowledge outweighs food safety attitudes and practices for both vendors and consumers. Awareness-raising campaigns might be conducted to enhance the food safety attitudes and practices of the respondents. However, the national education curriculum should also prioritize food safety-related issues and various concepts to enhance awareness among street food consumers and vendors.