FOOD SAFETY KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICE AND FOOD INSECURITY EXPERIENCE AMONG HOUSEHOLDS WITH UNDER-FIVE CHILDREN IN URBAN INJIBARA AND RURAL KESSA CHEWESA, AWI ZONE, ETHIOPIA

Abstract

Unsafe food and drinking water mostly affect under-five
children in food insecure households. This study assesses the food safety and
water and sanitation knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of mothers
along with household food security status in an urban and rural setting in Awi
zone, Ethiopia. Questionnaire-based data was collected on sociodemographics, food handling, personal hygiene, water and other sanitation
issues from randomly selected 238 mothers in both settings. Household food
security status was also assessed. Data was analyzed by using SPSS and
results were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics and multiple
regression analysis was applied to determine the influence of certain socioeconomic variables on household food security status, food safety, water
sanitation and hygiene KAPs. Food insecurity among urban and rural
households was 64% and 89%, respectively. Knowledge, positive attitude
and appropriate practice in food handling was poor (<60%) in urban as well
as rural households considered in this study. Similarly average KAP in
personal hygiene was also poor (<60%). About 82% of urban respondents
had good practice of washing hands with appropriate detergents, though they
did not perform this during the key moments of washing hands. Average
KAP in water sanitation was also generally poor (60%) although a large
proportion of urban respondents treated water for safety using different
methods (96%) and did not practice open defaecation (86%). This study
showed that respondents’ KAP on food and water safety was unsatisfactory.
Thus, under-five children who were fed with home-prepared complementary
foods were particularly predisposed to food and water-borne diseases.