Risk Perception and Food Handling Practice in Households: National Survey of Food Handler

Food safety is a public health concern of all communities and a major responsibility of different global and local institutes. The food sector within the SFDA has integrated food safety activities by covering all aspects related to local and imported food across the food chain. Objectives: This study aimed to assess food safety perception and behavior during food handling at household level among large number of urban and rural areas of Saudi Arabia residents. Methods: A total number of 2870 of adult -18 years and above, speaking Arabic- recruited from a government database of individuals who are interested in participating in health research. The phone assistant interview survey pulled from United State Food and Drug Authority Food Safety Survey 2016 which designed to identify the food safety practices at household level. Results: Males represent most participants (55.2%) with mean age of 36, while females (44.7%) and mean age of 33. Most of participants are from urban regions (57.8%), married (65.3%), have bachelor or diploma (63.6%) and employed (56.8%). There was significant different in mean risk perception score associated with four factors (age, region, education level and employment statues). Altogether with the non-parametric test results, we can observe that age (p ˂0.01) and education level (p ˂0.01 are the most related and significant factors in determining risk perception toward food handling safety and food poisoning. Among food handlers (1685), the main factors that influenced food-handling practice were age, region, gender, marital status, and employment statues. Mean score was almost equal in individuals with or without experience of food poisoning incidence. Within those who reported food poisoning incidence (1048), there was a significant difference between all demographical factors’ groups. However, within gender, risk perception and food-handling practice level groups, food poisoning incidence was not significantly different. Conclusion: Demographical and social factors influence risk perception and, food handling practice and food poisoning incidence differently. More important, risk perception and food handling practice are not influenced by food poisoning incidence.