Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://scholarhub.balamand.edu.lb/handle/uob/7483
Title: Unveiling food safety knowledge and practices among pet owners in Lebanon
Authors: Hassan, Hussein F
Dimassi, Hani
Fadous, Andrea
Abou Alayoui, Khalil
Hteit, Rasha
Khatib, Sami
Hassan, Hadi
Serhan, Mireille 
Affiliations: Department of Nutritional Sciences 
Keywords: Education program
Food safety knowledge
Lebanon
Pet owner
Practices
Questionnaire
Socio-demographic factors
Issue Date: 2024-08-23
Publisher: Springer Nature
Part of: Scientific Reports
Volume: 14
Issue: 1
Abstract: 
Owning pets offers various potential health benefits; however, it can be associated with gastrointestinal illnesses due to poor food safety knowledge and practices. This study aimed to evaluate the level of food safety knowledge and practices among pet owners in Lebanon, exploring the association between their knowledge/practices and socio-demographic characteristics. The participants included 300 pet owners, representing various genders, ages, educational levels, educational backgrounds, and incomes. They completed a questionnaire of 72 food handling practices and knowledge questions related to preparation, cross-contamination, storage and hygiene. In parallel, 300 non-pet owners with comparable sociodemographic characteristics to pet owners (control group) completed the questionnaire. On average, food safety knowledge scores were 62.1 ± 14.9% and 58.7 ± 15.5% among pet and non-pet owners, respectively, and the difference was significant (p = 0.05). On the other hand, mean food safety practice scores were 41.3 ± 14.8% and 40.4 ± 15.3% among pet and non-pet owners, respectively, and the difference was not significant (p = 0.41). In the food safety knowledge part, non-pet owners who were young, high income, university graduate, and from health-related majors scored significantly (p < 0.05) higher, while among pet-owners, only participants with a university degree and from health-related majors scored significantly (p < 0.05) higher, in terms of knowledge. On the other hand, In the food safety practices part, non-pet owners who were young, high income, and university graduates scored significantly (p < 0.05) higher, while among pet-owners, only young and high-income participants scored significantly (p < 0.05) higher. These results highlight the need for ongoing educational initiatives to improve food safety practices among both pet owners in Lebanon. The study suggests that targeted educational programs should be developed, considering specific socio-demographic characteristics, to enhance overall food safety awareness and practices among the population.
URI: https://scholarhub.balamand.edu.lb/handle/uob/7483
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-65872-x
Open URL: Link to full text
Type: Journal Article
Appears in Collections:Department of Nutritional Sciences

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