Risk Awareness and Protective Behaviors of Food Service Workers Against Communicable Diseases in a District Center
Öz
Aim: This study aims to determine food and beverage service workers' risk awareness and protective behaviors against communicable diseases in a district center.
Material and Method: This descriptive study, conducted between July and August 2023, included 198 food service workers from cafes, diners, and restaurants in a district center. Data was collected through face-to-face interviews and self-reports using a Survey Form and the Communicable Diseases Risk Awareness and Protection Scale. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, the Mann-Whitney U test, the Kruskal Wallis test, and multivariate regression analysis.
Results: It was found that 24.7% of the participants did not receive hygiene training, and 62.6% worked at the workplace while having a communicable disease. The participants' mean total scale score was 129.23 ± 17.5, indicating lower awareness of communicable disease risks compared to other adult studies using the same scale. A positive and significant relationship was found between the participants' level of education and hygiene training status and the total scale scores.
Conclusion: Deficiencies in hygiene practices and awareness of communicable disease risks among food service workers were identified. Accordingly, the development of comprehensive training programs is recommended to enhance both worker and public health protection.
Anahtar Kelimeler
Destekleyen Kurum
The authors declared that this study has received no financial support.
Etik Beyan
Ethics committee approval for the study was obtained from the Marmara University Institute of Health Sciences Ethics Committee (Date: 19.04.2023, Protocol No. 26). Permission for the research was obtained from the author, who developed the CDRAPS. Permission was obtained from the institutions to be included in the research, and written permission was obtained from the District Governor's Office. After the participants were informed about the study, their written consent was obtained.
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