Knowledge Towards Food-Borne Parasitic Zoonoses and Self-Reported Hygiene Practices of Fish and Meat Vendors in the Public Market of Bay, Laguna

Özet

Food-borne parasitic zoonoses (FBPZs), caused by the consumption of food or water contaminated by infectious parasites, pose significant public health concerns in countries like the Philippines, where animal source foods are integral to diet and these diseases remain endemic.  As they are often transmitted through food-handling practices, vendors have an important role in their prevention. With this, the study assessed the level of knowledge of the fish and meat vendors in Bay Public Market towards FBPZs and their hygiene practices. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 37 participants through the completion of a survey questionnaire on socio-demographic profile, knowledge of FBPZs, and self-reported hygiene practices. Data analyses were done through descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and Spearman correlation test. Results revealed that the majority (65.7%) have a good level of knowledge on FBPZs. Vendors reported that they always (median = 5) adhere to good hygiene practices and rarely (median = 2) to poor hygiene practices. Furthermore, a significant but moderate inverse correlation (r=-0.430, p=0.008) was found between vendors’ age and knowledge on FBPZs. Hence, there is a need for targeted interventions to enhance understanding of FBPZs, particularly among older vendors, and to further improve hygiene practices to mitigate risk of transmission of these diseases.