Original Research Article
Year: 2019 | Month: January | Volume: 9 | Issue: 1 | Pages: 13-20
Socio-Demographic Factors of Household Heads Associated With Knowledge of Food Safety among Residents of Butwal Sub-Metropolitan City of Nepal
Salila Gautam1, Dipika Gaire1, Bishnu Bahadur Bajgain2, Dilaram Acharya3,5, Kamal Gautam1, Kalpana Thapa Bajgain1, Jitendra Kumar Singh4
1Department of Public Health, Sanjeevani College of Medical Sciences, Butwal, Rupandehi, Nepal
2Department of Health Care Management, National Open College, Lalitpur, Pokhara University, Nepal
3Department of Preventive Medicine, College of Medicine, Dongguk University, Gyeongju, Republic of Korea
4Department of Community Medicine and Public Health, Tribhuvan University, Janaki Medical College, Janakpur, Nepal
5Department of Community Medicine, Kathmandu University, Devdaha Medical College and Research Institute (DMCRI), Rupandehi, Nepal
Corresponding Author: Salila Gautam
ABSTRACT
Background: Issue of food safety leading to food borne diseases has been an important public health problem. However, there is less awareness about the level of food safety at household level. The objective of this study was to assess the socio-demographic factors associated with level of knowledge about food safety among household heads of Butwal sub-metropolitan city of Nepal.
Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we enrolled a total of 162 household heads using a simple random sampling method from Butwal sub-metropolitan city, Nepal. Univariate analysis followed by adjusted multivariable logistic regression analysis was conducted to assess the independent socio-demographic factors associated with knowledge of food safety of the study participants.
Results: Of total 162 household heads, 123 (75.92%) had good knowledge about food safety. The household heads who had education level secondary and above were 6 times more likely (AOR= 6.08, 95% CI= 2.45-15.11) to have good knowledge about food safety than their counterparts of having no education and primary level of education. Although not statistically significant, higher percentage of respondents who were from service or business group had good knowledge of food safety compared to those who were only the household workers.
Conclusion: This study showed that three fourth of household heads had good knowledge of food safety. In addition, education level secondary and over was significantly associated with food safety. Measures for an improved knowledge of food safety at household level are therefore recommended.
Key words: Food safety, knowledge, household heads, socio-demographic, Nepal.