Assessing consumer food safety behaviour in Bangladesh: an exploration of knowledge, attitude, practices (KAP), and the influences of Covid-19

Assessing consumer food safety behaviour in Bangladesh: an exploration of knowledge, attitude, practices (KAP), and the influences of Covid-19

This thesis reports on results that investigate and compare the pre-pandemic and pandemic food safety knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) among the domestic food handlers in Bangladesh utilising the conceptual model - 'knowledge-attitude-practice' (KAP). Also, this study examines general and behaviour-specific risk perception towards food safety and examines the associations between food safety knowledge, attitude, practice and risk perception. The current research conducted a cross-sectional quantitative survey of 503 domestic food handlers in Bangladesh. The findings of this thesis suggest that most urban food handlers had a higher pandemic-related knowledge and hygiene behaviour (PRKHB) than their rural counterparts. Most food handlers did not show increased concern about food safety due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings indicated that the food handlers showed a substantial improvement in food safety knowledge, attitude and self-reported practice (KAP) levels after the COVID-19 outbreak in the domestic environment in Bangladesh. Despite the food handlers indicating a satisfactory food safety attitude before and after the pandemic, their food safety knowledge and practice levels were inadequate in both instances. The food handlers also showed that their risk perception towards self-prepared food was low compared to the food prepared by others (e.g., restaurants). This thesis confirmed that food handlers' behaviour risk perception and attitude serially mediate the association between food safety knowledge and practice. In addition, the study scrutinised sociodemographic changes and remarkable divergences between urban and rural locations. This research will provide a robust understanding of food safety knowledge, attitudes, and practices of adult consumers within the domestic environment in Bangladesh, which will become essential for planning and implementing food safety management strategies and developing food safety-related programs in Bangladesh. This study will help to understand the food handler's stance during a public health emergency, which will provide a better management system, decision-making, communication, and implementation of food safety in this community.

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