article · Journal of Food Safety and Hygiene
Foodborne diseases frequently stem from unsafe and unhygienic practices among food handlers, making routine medical examinations a key preventative measure. A community-based study conducted in 2022 evaluated 232 market food handlers in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, to determine their awareness, practices, and associated influences regarding routine medical check-ups. Most participants were female, and food handling was their primary occupation. Awareness of foodborne diseases and routine medical screening was high, with nearly three quarters having undergone examination at least once. Key factors positively linked to routine examination practice included longer work experience, attendance at food hygiene training, and clear awareness of medical screening services. However, because the survey tool was not locally validated, further context-specific validation and qualitative research are needed to fully understand barriers and facilitators.
Unsafe food handling in public markets poses substantial risks for transmitting illnesses to consumers. Routine medical screenings help identify health issues before they lead to contamination. Demonstrating that training and awareness directly improve screening participation provides clear targets for public health programmes and municipal authorities aiming to improve community health standards in food markets.
The abstract does not indicate an application pathway for commercial products or technology transfer, presenting instead public health survey data on training and medical screening practices among informal market workers.
AI-generated from the published abstract. Always read the original work before citing.
Most foodborne diseases (FBDs) occur due to unhygienic and unsafe food practices among food handlers. Routine medical examination (RME) is one of the recommended methods to prevent the occurrence of FBDs. This study aimed to determine the awareness, practice, and factors associated with the practice of RME among market food handlers. In 2022, a community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 232 market food handlers in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. A questionnaire was used to collect information on social-demographic, awareness, and practice of RME among food handlers. Of 232 study participants, 202 (87.1%) were female, and 128 (55.2%) were married. Food handling was the primary occupation for most 218 (94.0%) participants, and 112 (48.3%) had less than five years of working experience. The Majority, 211 (90.9%) and 192 (82.8%) of participants knew about FBDs and RME, respectively. The overall awareness of RME services was 162(69.8%), and 168 (72.8%) had ever undergone RME. Duration of work as a food handler (AOR=3.9, 95%CI= 1.120-13.493), participation in food hygiene training (AOR= 4, 95%CI = 1.501-10.618), and being aware of the RME services (AOR= 21, 95%CI= 8.454-52.246) were factors associated with good RME practice. Food handlers showed good awareness of FBDs and satisfactory knowledge and practices on RME. Adherence to RME was influenced by work experience, hygiene training, and awareness of RME services. Findings should be interpreted cautiously, as the tool used was not validated for the Tanzanian context. We recommend local validation of the tool and qualitative studies to explore barriers and facilitators of RME among food handlers.
This page summarises published work. The authoritative version sits with the publisher.
DOI: 10.18502/jfsh.v10i4.19395
Is something wrong with this record? Report it or request removal.
Discussion
Have you built on this work, tried to replicate it, or seen it applied in practice? Share what you know. Verified researchers and MARATTO™ domain experts can open a discussion, and any member can reply. Contributions are reviewed before they appear.
No discussion yet. Open the first thread.
New to MARATTO™? Create a free account.
