Knowledge, attitudes, and practices towards poultry handling and Salmonella risk among households in Beirut, Lebanon

Food-Borne Disease (FBD) is defined as an illness resulting from consuming foods contaminated with bacteria, their toxins, viruses, or parasites. Food poisoning due to improper food handling is a major global public health problem. In Lebanon, numerous challenges affect safe food consumption, with p...

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Main Authors: Dana Ataya, Christelle F. Iskandar, Samer A. Kharroubi, Mohamad T. Farran
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2024-12-01
Series:Journal of Agriculture and Food Research
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666154324005143
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author Dana Ataya
Christelle F. Iskandar
Samer A. Kharroubi
Mohamad T. Farran
author_facet Dana Ataya
Christelle F. Iskandar
Samer A. Kharroubi
Mohamad T. Farran
author_sort Dana Ataya
collection DOAJ
description Food-Borne Disease (FBD) is defined as an illness resulting from consuming foods contaminated with bacteria, their toxins, viruses, or parasites. Food poisoning due to improper food handling is a major global public health problem. In Lebanon, numerous challenges affect safe food consumption, with poultry being a common vehicle for many pathogens, such as Salmonella spp. This bacterium can cause serious illnesses, including gastroenteritis, characterized by abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, and fever. This study aimed to examine the Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices (KAPs) towards poultry handling among households in Beirut, Lebanon, and identify factors influencing KAP levels. A cross-sectional study was conducted through face-to-face interviews with 125 households in different areas of Beirut. The interview was divided into four main parts: sociodemographic characteristics, knowledge, attitudes, and practices. The results showed that consumers' knowledge and practices were inadequate, though their attitude was positive. Participants aged 43–55 had higher odds of having a good knowledge level than those aged 18–29 (OR = 3.889, p = 0.02). Additionally, those with a college education were 7.442 times more likely to have a positive attitude towards food safety compared to those with no formal education (p = 0.005). Most participants (91.2 %) do not regularly check their refrigerator and freezer temperatures. Furthermore, significant associations (p < 0.001) existed between the different KAP levels. This study aimed to raise public awareness regarding the handling of chicken to minimize food-borne illnesses by evaluating food handlers’ knowledge and behaviors. Insights from this study can used in campaigns to raise awareness about Salmonella and transmission risks among households. Moreover, findings may guide policymakers to create regulations for safe handling of poultry.
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spelling doaj-art-e1a86b8e6f7a411da17af8cf84b7aec52025-08-20T01:56:41ZengElsevierJournal of Agriculture and Food Research2666-15432024-12-011810147710.1016/j.jafr.2024.101477Knowledge, attitudes, and practices towards poultry handling and Salmonella risk among households in Beirut, LebanonDana Ataya0Christelle F. Iskandar1Samer A. Kharroubi2Mohamad T. Farran3Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, American University of Beirut, P.O. Box 11-0236, Riad El Solh, Beirut, 1107-2020, LebanonDepartment of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, American University of Beirut, P.O. Box 11-0236, Riad El Solh, Beirut, 1107-2020, Lebanon; Corresponding author.Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, American University of Beirut, P.O. Box 11-0236, Riad El Solh, Beirut, 1107-2020, LebanonDepartment of Animal and Veterinary Sciences Faculty of Agricultural &amp; Food Sciences (FAFS), American University of Beirut, P.O. Box: 11-0236, Riad El-Solh, Beirut, 1107 2020, LebanonFood-Borne Disease (FBD) is defined as an illness resulting from consuming foods contaminated with bacteria, their toxins, viruses, or parasites. Food poisoning due to improper food handling is a major global public health problem. In Lebanon, numerous challenges affect safe food consumption, with poultry being a common vehicle for many pathogens, such as Salmonella spp. This bacterium can cause serious illnesses, including gastroenteritis, characterized by abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, and fever. This study aimed to examine the Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices (KAPs) towards poultry handling among households in Beirut, Lebanon, and identify factors influencing KAP levels. A cross-sectional study was conducted through face-to-face interviews with 125 households in different areas of Beirut. The interview was divided into four main parts: sociodemographic characteristics, knowledge, attitudes, and practices. The results showed that consumers' knowledge and practices were inadequate, though their attitude was positive. Participants aged 43–55 had higher odds of having a good knowledge level than those aged 18–29 (OR = 3.889, p = 0.02). Additionally, those with a college education were 7.442 times more likely to have a positive attitude towards food safety compared to those with no formal education (p = 0.005). Most participants (91.2 %) do not regularly check their refrigerator and freezer temperatures. Furthermore, significant associations (p < 0.001) existed between the different KAP levels. This study aimed to raise public awareness regarding the handling of chicken to minimize food-borne illnesses by evaluating food handlers’ knowledge and behaviors. Insights from this study can used in campaigns to raise awareness about Salmonella and transmission risks among households. Moreover, findings may guide policymakers to create regulations for safe handling of poultry.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666154324005143Food-borne diseasesSalmonellaPoultryFood handling
spellingShingle Dana Ataya
Christelle F. Iskandar
Samer A. Kharroubi
Mohamad T. Farran
Knowledge, attitudes, and practices towards poultry handling and Salmonella risk among households in Beirut, Lebanon
Journal of Agriculture and Food Research
Food-borne diseases
Salmonella
Poultry
Food handling
title Knowledge, attitudes, and practices towards poultry handling and Salmonella risk among households in Beirut, Lebanon
title_full Knowledge, attitudes, and practices towards poultry handling and Salmonella risk among households in Beirut, Lebanon
title_fullStr Knowledge, attitudes, and practices towards poultry handling and Salmonella risk among households in Beirut, Lebanon
title_full_unstemmed Knowledge, attitudes, and practices towards poultry handling and Salmonella risk among households in Beirut, Lebanon
title_short Knowledge, attitudes, and practices towards poultry handling and Salmonella risk among households in Beirut, Lebanon
title_sort knowledge attitudes and practices towards poultry handling and salmonella risk among households in beirut lebanon
topic Food-borne diseases
Salmonella
Poultry
Food handling
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666154324005143
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