Assessment of chopping board hygiene knowledge, attitudes and practices among household food handlers during COVID-19 outbreaks in Selangor: article

Chopping boards are common utensils in kitchens and food processing units, so chopping board hygiene should be a priority in kitchens. The objective of the study was to investigate the level of knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) on chopping board hygiene among household food handlers during COVID-19 outbreak. The information was collected through questionnaires comprising four sections: demographic characteristics, knowledge, attitude, and practices. The results showed that respondents had not sufficient knowledge (26.51 ± 8.478) 56.40%, attitude (9.50 ± 4.051) (55.88%), and practice (7.01 ± 2.710) (50.07%). A significant correlation was observed between knowledge with practice (rs = 0.375, P <0.05), knowledge with attitude (rs = 0.590, p < 0.05), and attitude with practice (rs = 0.380, p < 0.05). There was no significant different between income of household family (B40 and M40) with knowledge (U= 938.000, p = 0.954), attitude (U= 877.500, p = 0.578), and practice (U = 760.500, p = 0.126). However, the income of the household family (M40) had the highest knowledge (47.23) on chopping board hygiene but had the lowest attitude (44.75) and practice (40.85) towards chopping board hygiene compared to the income of the household family (B40). Hence, the results suggest developing an educational program related to food safety and handling in the household of Selangor during this pandemic the COVID-19 to improve their knowledge as well as attitude and practice.