Food Hygiene Practices and Associated Factors Among Food Handlers Working at Public Food and Drink Establishments in Mizan‐Aman Town, Bench‐Sheko Zone, Ethiopia, 2023: A Cross‐Sectional Study Design

Abstract

Background and Aims

Foodborne illnesses are widespread in both developed and developing countries. Nonetheless, there is a paucity of data about food hygiene practices among food handlers in public catering establishments in Ethiopia, particularly in the study area. Consequently, this research seeks to evaluate the extent of food hygiene practices and the associated factors among food handlers in public food and beverage establishments in Mizan-Aman town, Southwest Ethiopia, in 2023. Methodology

This study employed an institution-based cross-sectional design involving 372 food handlers. Participants were selected using a simple random sampling technique from individuals employed at randomly chosen public food catering establishments. The data were subsequently entered into Epi Data Version 3.02 and exported to SPSS Version 20 for further analysis. A binary logistic regression analysis was performed. Variables with a p-value of less than 0.25 were included in a multiple binary logistic regression model. Significant factors were ultimately determined based on a 95% confidence interval (CI) and a p-value of less than 0.05. Results

The prevalence of good food hygiene practices among food handlers working in public food and drink establishments in the study area was 64.6%. An average monthly income of ≥ 1100 ETB (AOR = 5.22; 95% CI = 2.40–11.34, p-value < 0.001), attendance at training (AOR = 4.21; 95% CI = 1.74–10.17, p-value = 0.001), and the availability of a separate dressing room (AOR = 4.89; 95% CI = 1.88, 12.72, p-value = 0.001) were significantly associated with good food hygiene practices. Conclusion

This study showed the prevalence of good food hygiene practices among food handlers who work in public food and drink establishments in Mizan-Aman town was low. The variables such as average monthly income of ≥ 1100 ETB, ever attended training on food hygiene, and having a separate dressing room in the facility were significantly associated factors for good food hygiene practice in the study area.