ABSTRACT

Limited research has investigated self-catering university students’ food hygiene practices that may increase their vulnerability to food poisoning. This study assessed the practice-related risk factors for food poisoning among 600 self-catering university students. A validated questionnaire was self-administered to collect data about their food hygiene practices in the previous 12 months. Factors associated with the prevalence of food poisoning were determined using logistic regression methods. Analyses showed significant associations of the use of wooden chopping boards and the consumption of unwashed fruits, with the prevalence of food poisoning (p < 0.05). However, the strongest association was for thawing of meat at room temperature (odds ratio for thawing at room temperature versus inside refrigerator, 6.07, 95% CI 3.98–9.25). Findings highlight the need for risk-based food hygiene training to inculcate safe food handling practices among self-catering university students.

摘要

有限的研究调查了自炊式大学生的食品卫生习惯，这些习惯可能会增加他们对食物中毒的脆弱性。本研究评估了 600 名自炊式大学生中与实践相关的食物中毒危险因素。一份经过验证的问卷是自我管理的，以收集有关他们在过去 12 个月内的食品卫生习惯的数据。使用逻辑回归方法确定与食物中毒发生率相关的因素。分析表明，使用木制砧板和食用未洗过的水果与食物中毒的发生率有显着关联（p< 0.05)。然而，最强的关联是在室温下解冻肉类（在室温下解冻与在冰箱内解冻的优势比，6.07，95% CI 3.98-9.25）。调查结果强调了基于风险的食品卫生培训的必要性，以向自炊式大学生灌输安全的食品处理实践。