Food hygiene practice and its associated factors among food handlers working in food establishments during the COVID-19 pandemic in East Gojjam and West Gojjam Zones, North West Ethiopia

Alehegn Aderaw Alamneh; Daniel Bekele Ketema; Muluye Molla Simieneh; Moges Wubie; Yonas Lamore; Mekuanint Taddele Tessema; Abtie Abebaw; Biachew Asmare; Tsehay Alemu; Abraham Teym; Menichil Amsalu

doi:10.1177/20503121221081070

Food hygiene practice and its associated factors among food handlers working in food establishments during the COVID-19 pandemic in East Gojjam and West Gojjam Zones, North West Ethiopia

SAGE Open Med. 2022 Feb 21:10:20503121221081070. doi: 10.1177/20503121221081070. eCollection 2022.

Affiliations

¹ Department of Human Nutrition, College of Health Sciences, Debre Markos University, Debre Markos, Ethiopia.
² Department of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, Debre Markos University, Debre Markos, Ethiopia.
³ Department of Environmental Health, College of Health Sciences, Debre Markos University, Debre Markos, Ethiopia.
⁴ Department of Medical Laboratory Science, College of Health Sciences, Debre Markos University, Debre Markos, Ethiopia.

Abstract

Objectives: This study was aimed to assess the food hygiene practice and associated factors among food handlers working in food establishments during the COVID-19 pandemic in East Gojjam and West Gojjam Zones, North West Ethiopia.

Methods: A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 845 food handlers working in 423 selected food establishments of East and West Gojjam Zones from 22 September to 2 November 2020. The food handlers were categorized as a cooker and a waiter based on their responsibility. A data collection tool was adapted from the literature and validated by conducting a pre-test prior to the study. Binary logistic regression was done to identify the factors associated with food hygiene practice among food handlers.

Results: The prevalence of poor food hygiene practices among food handlers working in food establishments was 51.2% (95% confidence interval = 47.8, 54.6%). Being both a cooker and waiter (adjusted odds ratio = 2.98; 95% confidence interval = 1.02, 8.66), availability of personal protective equipment (adjusted odds ratio = 2.67; 95% confidence interval = 1.75, 4.08), presence of pipe water in the kitchen (adjusted odds ratio = 2.73; 95% confidence interval = 1.84, 4.06), presence of a supervisor (adjusted odds ratio = 2.26; 95% confidence interval = 1.41, 3.62), and separate dressing room (adjusted odds ratio = 2.69; 95% confidence interval = 1.84, 3.93) were significantly associated with food hygiene practice among food handlers.

Conclusion: The prevalence of poor food hygiene practices among food handlers working in food establishments during the COVID-19 pandemic was high. Therefore, improving food hygiene practice focusing on availing personal protective equipment, pipe water in the kitchen, and ensuring the presence of a supervisor as well as a separate dressing room in the food establishment is recommended.

Keywords: Ethiopia; Food hygiene practice; food handlers.