Food Protection Trends - September/October 2020 - 306

The results of regression analysis of the relationship
between self-efficacy, self-regulation, environmental
determinants, and outcome expectations as predictors and
self-reported food safety behaviors as a dependent variable
indicated that self-efficacy was a significant predictor of
self-reported food safety behaviors (β = 0.275, P = 0.003).
This finding suggested that employees' high level of selfefficacy could be translated directly to positive self-reported
food safety behaviors. A study investigated the relationship
between adolescents' self-efficacy and their food safety
behavioral change across three administrations of educational
interventions. The researchers found that self-efficacy was
the only significant predictor of behavior change (β = 0.421,
P < 0.001) (13). Previous research has also found that
individuals' perception of self-efficacy accounts for the level
of effort and persistence to perform a specific behavior (39,
54). Thus, it is evident that self-efficacy can directly influence
a person's behavior and does not necessarily induce their
behavioral intentions.
On one hand, the results of regression analysis confirmed
the importance of adequacy of necessary equipment and
access to resources for following safe food handling practices
in the investigated restaurants. On the other hand, this
finding suggested that lack of necessary infrastructure and
equipment could hinder food handlers from performing
proper food safety behaviors. For instance, in a study that
investigated restaurant employees' beliefs about food safety,
the researchers found that lack of access to resources was
among the most frequently reported barriers to handwashing,
use of a thermometer, and proper handling of food and
contact surfaces (69). Another study also found that lack of
supplies such as gloves and alcohol wipes was a major barrier
to performing proper food safety behaviors (68). The finding
also suggested the importance of social support represented
in the role that managers/supervisors can play in motivating
their employees to follow proper food safety behaviors.
Managers can support proper food safety behaviors by acting
as role models and giving their employees verbal reminders
and praise for following proper practices (37). Thus,
interventions aimed at increasing food handlers' intentions
to follow proper food safety practices may take advantage
of focusing on increasing social support from peers and
managers. This will help foster confidence in those who feel
they are ill equipped to perform behaviors properly (25).
The finding of regression analysis regarding outcome
expectations suggested that the more a food handler feels
their food safety behaviors are self-rewarding, in terms
of feeling a sense of accomplishment, the greater their
intention will be to adhere to proper food safety behaviors.
A previous study that investigated perceived risks and risk
communication behaviors of restaurant servers was related
to serving customers with food allergy. The researchers
found that perceived severity of food allergy reactions was
a significant predictor of restaurant servers' allergy risk

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reduction and communication behaviors (β = 0.133, P <
0.001) (71). Therefore, educating food handlers on the
consequences of improper food safety behaviors, using
persuasive messages, is an important step in improving their
behaviors (37).
The findings of regression analysis of the relationship
between self-regulation and food safety behavioral
intentions implied that food handlers who reported
monitoring their food safety practices, setting goals, and
evaluating their performance were more likely to have
a sustained intention to perform proper behaviors and
are consistent with the views of Bandura (11). Thus, the
more food handlers engage in self-regulation, the more
they will be able to self-control their behavior, especially
if they perform it in a supportive environment (31). This
finding also suggested that self-regulation might create
motivational influence on the formation of food handlers'
intentions to follow safe food handling behaviors.
Although this study focused on the social-cognitive
facets of self-regulation, previous research that investigated the neurocognitive differences between people
in their ability to self-regulate their behaviors reported
similar results. For instance, a study investigated the
addition of self-regulation as a variable to the Theory of
Planned Behavior in explaining exercise and diet behaviors. The researchers found that individual differences in
neurocognitive self-regulation represented in executive
function or operations of the brain that control a behavior explained 59% of the variance in exercise behavior
and 61% of the variance in diet behavior (32).
The findings of mediation analysis were consistent with
the view of Bandura (7) that most behaviors are mediated
by behavioral intentions. These findings suggested that
food handlers' intention to perform food safety behaviors
can lead to better compliance with the behaviors when
self-efficacy, self-regulation, outcome expectations, and
environmental determinants are favorable to the behaviors.
Similarly, it was found that self-efficacy had a strong indirect
effect on water conservation behavior through behavioral
intentions (β = 0.22) and outcome expectations had a
moderate indirect effect on the behavior (β = 0.13) (72).
Therefore, building up employees' confidence with regard
to performing the behaviors (24), providing adequate
resources and reminders to the employees to perform the
behaviors, stressing that bosses, coworkers, customers, and
health inspectors want them to follow proper food safety
practices (59), and encouraging employees to regulate
themselves can increase their intention to consequently
engage in proper food safety behaviors.
CONCLUSIONS
This study used the constructs of the Social Cognitive
Theory to predict self-reported food safety behaviors in
independent Chinese and Mexican restaurants. Few studies
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