Food Protection Trends - January/February 2014 - (Page 20)

PEER-REVIEWED ARTICLE Jennifer K. Richards* and Amy S. Beavers Dept. of Food Science and Technology, 2510 River Drive, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 379964591, USA What Implications Does a Baseline of Self-efficacy of Food Safety in Adolescent Populations Have for Future Food Safety Education Interventions? P ABSTRACT roperly targeted food safety interventions can change attitudes and behaviors, thus promoting the development of strong self-efficacy of food safety (SEFS). By understanding adolescents' SEFS, interventions could be better designed to target self-efficacy, thus increasing the likelihood of sustainable positive food handling behaviors; however, the baseline level of adolescents' food safety self-efficacy must first be established. The purposes of this study were to: (1) establish a baseline of self-efficacy of food safety in adolescent populations and (2) investigate differences in SEFS by gender, Standard Metropolitan Statistical Areas (SMSA), and food handling experience. Results indicate that adolescents feel confident in their ability to positively impact the safety of their food, with strong self-efficacy in the area of personal hygiene. Cross-contamination and cooking/cooling temperatures were areas of lowest self-efficacy. There is no evidence to suggest that SEFS is influenced by the number of meals prepared in the home. While there were statistical differences in SEFS by SMSA and gender, low effect sizes indicate that the differences are not practically significant. Developers of future food safety education interventions should focus on providing experiential learning opportunities based on topic areas, not targeting specific demographic groups. INTRODUCTION iven that many consumers still consider food safety as the sole responsibility of food producers, manufacturers, and preparers (5, 10), effective food safety education interventions are critical to combat the approximately 48 million cases of reported foodborne illnesses in the United States every year (8). Effective educational interventions can provide the knowledge necessary to prevent a substantial number of these G *Author for correspondence: Fax: +1 865.974.7332; E-mail; jennifer.richards@utk.edu 20 Food Protection Trends January/February http://www.foodprotection.org/files/food-protection-trends/Jan-Feb-14-richards.pdf

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Food Protection Trends - January/February 2014

Food Protection Trends - January/February 2014
Contents
Economically Motivated Adulteration of Honey: Quality Control Vulnerabilities in the International Honey Market
Efficacy of Quaternary Ammonium Compounds on Different Conveyor Chips Contaminated with Poultry Rinsate
What Implications Does a Baseline of Self-efficacy of Food Safety in Adolescent Populations Have for Future Food Safety Education Interventions?
Food Safety Risks in Restaurants and School Foodservice Establishments: Health Inspection Reports
INOFOOD 2013 Conference & Expo
The 3rd Asia Pacific International Conference on Food Safety
China International Food Safety & Quality Conference (CIFSQ) + Expo
Dubai International Food Safety Conference (DIFSC)
Beyond the Bio
FSMA: Article 7
PDG
Industry Products
Coming Events

Food Protection Trends - January/February 2014