scholarly journals Is this too ugly for you?

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarina Cho ◽  
BCIT School of Health Sciences, Environmental Health ◽  
Helen Heacock
Keyword(s):  
Food Waste ◽  
Positive Attitude ◽  
Waste Reduction ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Electronic Survey ◽  
Adequate Knowledge ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Reduction Strategies ◽  
Social Media Platforms

Background: Globally 1.3 billion tonnes of food are wasted every year equating to approximately 750 billion US dollars (1). In Canada it has been estimated that $31 billion of food is wasted annually (2). This amount can easily be used to feed hundreds of thousands of undernourished people across the world. Food wastage can occur at every level of the food supply chain. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the food waste generated by residents of British Columbia, Canada. The study aimed to identify the general knowledge regarding food waste and ugly produce, the attitudes of the public towards food waste, and the general practices of waste disposal. Methods: A self-administered electronic survey created on Survey Monkey Canada was distributed on various social media platforms over a two-week period in January 2020. The survey contained questions that resulted in a score for knowledge of food waste, attitude towards food waste and the waste reduction practices of British Columbian residents. Chi square and correlational analyses were performed using the statistical package NCSS. Results: 96 respondents met the inclusion criteria and completed the survey. Many participants received a medium score for knowledge (N=67) and possessed a positive attitude (N=71) towards food waste. There was an even distribution between good and fair practice level (N=49 and N=46). There was no association between level of food waste knowledge and demographic categories except for age (p=0.025). Younger participants were less knowledgeable. Between practice and demographic variables, no statistically significant associations were found. The results for attitude were determined to be non-statistically significant for age, gender and experience working in the food industry while there was a statistically significant association between attitude and an individual’s education level (p = 0.008). Those with higher levels of education had a more positive attitude. No correlation was determined between knowledge and practice indicating that there is no influence of knowledge on practice and vice versa. The study found that there is a positive correlation (p = 0.0004 and r = 0.3542) between attitude and practice indicating that these two variables influence each other. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that the population in B.C. who responded to the survey has adequate knowledge, a positive attitude and moderate practice behaviours regarding food waste. Younger individuals were less knowledgeable about food waste and the more educated one is, the more positive their attitude towards food is. The study also indicated that positive attitudes translated into better practice. These results are only a starting point in determining the causes for food loss and waste in B.C as it reveals the need for more local initiatives to bring everyone to start adopting food waste reduction strategies.  

Consumer understanding of food date labels: preventing food wastage

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Khalid Shamim ◽  
Shamim Ahmad ◽  
Md Ashraf Alam
Keyword(s):  
Food Waste ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
Complete Information ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Adequate Knowledge ◽  
Food Wastage ◽  
Structured Questionnaire

PurposeConfusion over the interpretation of date labels is one of the main causes of food waste at the retail and consumer level. The purpose of this study was to determine consumer understanding of food date labels and to assess consumer perception of food waste based on these labels.Design/methodology/approachIt is a cross-sectional study carried out in India. Google forms were used to administer an online structured questionnaire. A total of 389 individuals participated in the study. The data were analyzed using Chi-square statistics and ordinal logistic regression.FindingsThe results affirmed that most of the consumers frequently looked at date labels while purchasing food products, but many of them did not have adequate knowledge of commonly used date label terms. In particular, respondents tended to misunderstand the “best before” date label as the last date for safe consumption, that is, a safety indicator that is not correct. The study indicated that lack of appropriate knowledge, misunderstanding of date labels and lack of complete information contributed toward unnecessary and excess discard of foods that may otherwise perfectly be safe and edible.Practical implicationsRaising public awareness, educating consumers about food date labels and pushing for standardizing the information on date labels by providing adequate guidelines to companies would enable consumers to better interpret the labels, and it would lead to lowering the unnecessary food wastage.Originality/valueThis study fulfills an important knowledge gap in respect of examining the food date label knowledge and its relationship with food waste practices in India.

scholarly journals Knowledge, attitude and practices associated with COVID-19 among health care workers: A cross-sectional study in India.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shivkumar Gopalakrishnan ◽  
Sangeetha Kandasamy ◽  
Omar A. Almohammed ◽  
Bobby Abraham ◽  
Monika Senthilkumar
Keyword(s):  
Positive Attitude ◽  
Pearson Correlation ◽  
Statistical Significance ◽  
Psychological Impact ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Adverse Outcomes ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Adequate Knowledge ◽  
Information Update

Abstract Background: In India, SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has caused phenomenal loss of lives and overburdened the health system. Low morale, fatigue and inadequate knowledge among health personnel are perceived threats to pandemic control. Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (KAP) studies among HCWs can identify crucial knowledge gaps and gauge psychological impact. We aimed to assess the COVID-19 related current level of knowledge, attitude and practices among our HCWs.Methods: A cross-sectional, electronically distributed, questionnaire-based study was conducted among HCWs. The questionnaire identified participants’ demographics and the current KAP related to COVID-19. Descriptive statistics were used to present the participants’ demographics and Chi-square test to assess differences among the participants’ demographics based KAP. α < 0.05 was used for statistical significance. The association between the knowledge, attitude and practices was assessed using Pearson correlation coefficient (r).Results: Of 1,429 total participants, 71.9% belonged to age group 21-40 years. Female workers constituted 61.5%. Only 40.2% received any infection control training and 62.7% relied upon single source of information update. However, 82.9% of participants had adequate knowledge. Being married, urban dwelling and higher qualification were associated with knowledge adequacy (p<0.001). Interestingly, senior HCWs (age 41-50 years) were least likely to have adequate knowledge (74.1%). 84.2% had positive attitude towards COVID. Notably, 83.8% feared providing care to COVID patient. 93% practised safety precautions correctly most of the times and training had no influence on practise. Positive correlation was recognized between adequate knowledge and positive attitude (r=0.26).Conclusion: More than 80% of HCWs in India had adequate knowledge, positive attitude and practiced safely most of the time. However pitfalls like poor training, knowledge uncertainties and fear of disease acquisition among HCWs need to be addressed. Adverse outcomes can be averted by structured training sessions and psychological support programs for HCWs.

Reducing food waste: an exploration of a campus restaurant

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle R. Alcorn ◽  
Daniel Vega ◽  
Ryan Irvin ◽  
Paola Paez
Keyword(s):  
Data Collection ◽  
Food Waste ◽  
Tracking System ◽  
Waste Reduction ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Exploratory Research ◽  
University Campus ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Reduction Strategies ◽  
Collection Methods

PurposeAs exploratory research, this project aimed to develop and assess the effect of implementing a food waste reduction program at a restaurant on a university campus.Design/methodology/approachData collection consisted of an audit of both pre and postconsumer food waste to determine the effectiveness of various reduction strategies and a survey to assess attitudes of employees toward food waste. As exploratory research, a personalized database was created to track current food waste amounts and reasons for waste in the restaurant operation to determine if the same method could be employed in future research.FindingsOverall, the restaurant in this study implemented various effective food waste reduction practices that were inexpensive and simple, resulting in a weekly average reduction of 14.3 pounds of food waste. The top five food item products wasted by the kitchen were also identified for both pre and postintervention phases as well as the reasons for generating kitchen waste. Furthermore, data reported on postconsumer waste included weight quantities and product types.Originality/valueThe project resulted in evidence that a personalized food tracking system is useful for identifying and quantifying food waste in foodservice operations. Therefore, the research design and data collection methods used in this project can be used in future research on a larger scale.

scholarly journals Consumer behaviour towards suboptimal food products: a strategy for food waste reduction

2019 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Isadora do Carmo Stangherlin ◽  
Jose Luis Duarte Ribeiro ◽  
Marcia Barcellos
Keyword(s):  
Food Waste ◽  
Fruits And Vegetables ◽  
Group Discussion ◽  
Food Products ◽  
Waste Reduction ◽  
Second Phase ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Reduction Strategies ◽  
Marketing Actions ◽  
Unusual Appearance

Purpose Food waste has received attention during the last decade, especially due to its environmental and social impacts. An important contributor to food waste is consumers’ low preference for purchase fruits and vegetables with unusual appearance, products with damaged package and products close to the expiration date, technically called suboptimal food products. Researches show that consumers tend to reject these products when buying food, increasing avoidable food waste. However, consumer considerations when deciding to buy or not to buy suboptimal food are still unknown. The purpose of this paper is to use two different approaches to investigate consumers’ perceptions towards suboptimal food and how they impact their acceptance. Design/methodology/approach The first part of the study involved a qualitative analysis of participants’ open-ended responses (282 answers), where participants were asked to write down the impressions they had about three suboptimal food images. The second phase explored consumers acceptance of suboptimal food through a focus group discussion. Findings Results reveal that considerations about suboptimal food are divergent, with some participants rejecting them because they are impelled to search for perfection when buying food products. However, some individuals are disposed to accept suboptimal products, mainly because they have concern with the environment and cook abilities. Originality/value As a whole, this study contributes for food waste reduction strategies and has implications for marketing actions.

scholarly journals Poised for Change: University Students Are Positively Disposed toward Food Waste Diversion and Decrease Individual Food Waste after Programming

Foods ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 510
Author(s):  
Manar A. Alattar ◽  
Jennifer L. Morse
Keyword(s):  
Behavior Change ◽  
Food Waste ◽  
Student Attitudes ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Waste Reduction ◽  
Impact Behavior ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Diversion Program ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Waste Diversion

Eaters (consumers of food) are responsible for 60% of waste along the food cycle in developed countries. Programs that target individual and household food waste behavior change are essential to addressing such waste. School cafeterias worldwide offer an opportune microcosm in which to educate on food and nutrition skills and change related behavior. No Scrap Left Behind, a cafeteria food waste diversion program, was developed, piloted, and assessed based on measures of both direct and indirect food waste behavior, and attitudes, knowledge, and emotions related to food waste. Participants had positive attitudes towards food waste reduction, engaged in food waste diversion actions, had some knowledge of the impacts of wasted food, and considered their actions important to waste reduction generally. Food waste per student was decreased by 28% over the course of the first year of programming (p = 0.000967), and by 26% in the following year when measured a week before and a week after programming occurred (p = 0.0218). Results indicate that students were poised for food behavior change and that related programming did impact behavior in the short term. Programming may, therefore, help improve student attitudes and skills to develop long-term change as well, although future research should explore this specifically. In comparison with other research on cafeteria programming, results suggest that food waste diversion programming can positively impact students’ dispositions and behaviors, and may be more effective when tailored to the specific population.

scholarly journals Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices Associated With COVID-19 Among Healthcare Workers in Hospitals: A Cross-Sectional Study in India

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shivkumar Gopalakrishnan ◽  
Sangeetha Kandasamy ◽  
Bobby Abraham ◽  
Monika Senthilkumar ◽  
Omar A. Almohammed
Keyword(s):  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Positive Attitude ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Adequate Knowledge ◽  
Inadequate Knowledge ◽  
Information Update ◽  
Chi Square Test ◽  
The Times

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has caused phenomenal loss of lives and overburdened the health system in India. Low morale, fatigue, and inadequate knowledge among the healthcare workers (HCWs) are the perceived threats to pandemic control. We aimed to assess the COVID-19 related level of knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP) among our HCWs. A cross-sectional, electronically distributed, questionnaire-based study was conducted which identified the demographics of HCWs and the current KAP related to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The descriptive statistics were used to present the demographics of the participants and chi-square test was used to assess the differences in KAP among the participants. Of 1,429 total participants, 71.9% belonged to age group 21–40 years. Only 40.2% received any infection control training and 62.7% relied upon single source of information update. However, 82.9% of the participants had adequate knowledge. Being married, urban dwelling, and higher qualification were associated with knowledge adequacy (p &lt; 0.001). Interestingly, the senior HCWs (age 41–50 years) were least likely to have adequate knowledge (74.1%). About 84% had positive attitude toward COVID-19, but 83.8% of the participants feared providing care to the patients with COVID-19. However, 93% of HCWs practiced safety precautions correctly most of the times and training had no influence on practice. In conclusion, more than 80% of HCWs in the study had adequate knowledge, positive attitude, and practiced safely most of the time. However, the pitfalls, such as poor training, knowledge uncertainties, and fear of disease acquisition among the HCWs need to be addressed.

scholarly journals Knowledge, attitude, and practice towards COVID-19 prevention: a survey of Sudanese people

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (10) ◽  
pp. 4734
Author(s):  
Mohamed Ali Alzain ◽  
Najm Eldinn Elsser ◽  
Collins Otieno Asweto ◽  
Mohammed Mohamoud Alsese ◽  
Mohammed Ismail Humaida ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Positive Attitude ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Good Practice ◽  
Negative Attitude ◽  
Good Knowledge ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Awareness Campaigns ◽  
Attitude And Practice ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Knowledge Attitude And Practice

Background: The awareness and belief of people on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) prevention often influence their practices toward the disease. Therefore, it is essential to assess people's knowledge, attitude, and practice towards COVID-19 prevention; to inform policymakers.Methods: An online survey was conducted on 1455 Sudanese adults using a pretested questionnaire. Chi-square test, spearman’s correlation, and logistic regression were used to analyse the data using statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version-25.Results: The study found relatively good knowledge, attitude, and practice on COVID-19 prevention with overall correct rates of 84.6%, 88.8 %, and 78.6%, respectively. Furthermore, knowledge was positively correlated with attitude (r=0.355, P<0.001). Participants with good knowledge were more likely to have a positive attitude and practice (OR=1.36; 95%CI:1.08-1.71; OR=1.52; 95%CI:1.36-1.71), respectively than those with insufficient knowledge. While participants with a positive attitude were more than two times (OR=2.36; 95%CI:1.86-2.99) more likely to have good practice than a negative attitude. Moreover, females and married were more likely to have good practice (OR=1.37; 95%CI:1.10-1.69; OR=1.26; 95%CI:1.02-1.55), and positive attitudes (OR=1.39; 95%CI: 1.10-1.77; OR=1.45; 95% CI:1.15-1.84), respectively than their corresponding targeted counterparts. Furthermore, certain occupations (housewife, no worker, and employed) were more likely to have positive attitude and practice than the student (p<0.05). Besides, considerable participants had misconceptions regarding; effectiveness of antibiotics in combating COVID-19 (32%); almost two-thirds of participants either never wearing masks or sometimes.Conclusions: The finding concluded that relatively good knowledge, positive attitude, and desired practices against prevention of COVID-19. Therefore, a great emphasis on health awareness campaigns should focus on risk-taking practice and remove misconceptions.   

scholarly journals Medical students and the National Medical Commission bill: negativity and misinformation combine

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (11) ◽  
pp. 4739
Author(s):  
Liaquat R. Johnson ◽  
Junaida Sulfy ◽  
Lishana Shajahan ◽  
Manirsha P. Vayalil ◽  
Ananthan A. S. Mangalathumannil ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medical Education ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Positive Attitude ◽  
Negative Attitude ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Adequate Knowledge ◽  
National Medical ◽  
Knowledge And Attitude

Background: The National Medical Commission bill (NMC bill) was drafted in response to concerns regarding medical education and healthcare in India. It seeks to reform medical education in India. However, a storm of protests by medical students and doctors erupted after it was tabled in parliament. This study was conducted to determine medical students’ knowledge of, and attitude towards the NMC bill.Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among medical students in a private medical college in south India. A tool based on each section of the NMC bill was developed to assess knowledge. Attitude was assessed using a 5-point Likert scale. Separate knowledge and attitude scores were computed. Statistical analyses were performed using EZR (version 1.36). Descriptive statistics, Chi-square test, logistic regression analyses were performed.Results: Only 74 (31.49%) had adequate knowledge of the NMC bill. The major source of information regarding the NMC Bill was social media (191; 81.28%), followed by newspapers (107; 45.53%). Those who were aware of the amendments to the bill; and who received information about the bill from newspapers were significantly more likely to have adequate knowledge. Participation in IMA protest rally was significantly associated with negative attitude; belonging to main (regular) batch was significantly associated with positive attitude towards the bill. Superior knowledge was not associated with positive attitude towards the bill.Conclusions: Medical students lack knowledge about the NMC bill, but have strong negative attitude towards it. Negative attitude is significantly associated with participation in IMA protest rally against NMC bill. 

scholarly journals Knowledge, Attitude, Behavior, and Practice toward Minimal Intervention Dentistry among Dental Professionals in Bengaluru City, India

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 20-24
Author(s):  
G Suma, ◽  
Yasin Salman
Keyword(s):  
Positive Attitude ◽  
Clinical Decision Making ◽  
Clinical Decision ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Minimal Intervention ◽  
Adequate Knowledge ◽  
Course Of Action ◽  
Attitude Behavior ◽  
Dental Professionals

ABSTRACT Aims The emphasis on caries prevention and early detection has led to a paradigm shift toward the concept of minimal intervention dentistry (MID). Despite the benefits of MID in the preservation of dental components and significant reliability, the clinical application is still limited. This study was, therefore, aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude, practices, and clinical decision behaviors of dental professionals of Bengaluru city, Karnataka, India. Materials and methods A cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey was conducted in Bengaluru city, Karnataka, India, in the year 2016 for a period of 1 month among dental professionals. Data were collected using 25 questions focused on knowledge, attitude, practice, and behavior toward MID. The descriptive data were analyzed; statistical evaluation was done by chi-square test. Results Among 100 respondents, the mean scores for knowledge, attitude, and clinical decision were 3.57 ± 0.685, 0 to 4; 18.84 ± 2.21, 5 to 25; and 4.69 ± 0.78, 0 to 6 respectively. Data showed that dental professionals had adequate knowledge and a positive attitude toward MID. A weak positive correlation was seen between knowledge and attitude (r = –0.059, p = 0.55) and knowledge and clinical decision (r = –0.050, p = 0.62). Conclusion Adequate knowledge and positive attitude neither influenced their clinical decision-making behavior nor their practical application of MID. A nationwide awareness campaign has to be done to alarm the authorities in making and implementing a course of action for updating the practice and clinical decisions behaviors of dental professionals in the country. How to cite this article Suma G, Salman Y. Knowledge, Attitude, Behavior, and Practice toward Minimal Intervention Dentistry among Dental Professionals in Bengaluru City, India. J Health Sci Res 2017;8(1):20-24.

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