RESUMO
Background: With an estimated 600 million cases of foodborne illnesses annually, unsafe food is a threat to human health and economies globally. World Health Organization (WHO) emphasizes that the future of food safety is to transform knowledge into action for people and communities. Hence, this study was undertaken to evaluate the effectiveness of an educational intervention package on Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (KAP) of food handlers and to evaluate the barriers to implementation of food safety. Methods: This was an educational intervention before and after comparison study. All food handlers employed in food establishments located in the premises of a tertiary care hospital were included in the study. The educational intervention comprised of interactive lectures and documentaries. The responses of the participants were recorded on pre-validated questionnaires and KAP scores were calculated before and after the educational intervention. Chi square test and paired t-test were used to assess statistical significance. Results: The mean age of food handlers was 38+2 years. Majority were educated up to 12th standard. There was a significant improvement in the KAP scores pre- and post- intervention. Among the barriers recognised in ensuring food safety, the most common were manpower management and absence of basic amenities for hand washing. Conclusions: The study concludes that while educational intervention has a significant role in improving the KAP of food handlers, a holistic approach in prevention of food borne illnesses should include active participation from the stakeholders and clientele besides providing periodic training to the food handlers.
RESUMO
Background: Street children constitute a marginalized group in most societies. These children experience social and behavioural problems resulting from their environmental influences, school and peer interactions, home and family settings, or any combination of these. Keeping in view the prevalence of psychosocial distress among street children, this study was undertaken to assess the levels of psychosocial distress and problems faced by orphan and vulnerable children (OVC) living in Kolkata city. Methods: This was a cross sectional analytical study. A total of 127 children were interviewed with the help of pre-validated semi-structured questionnaire. GHQ-12 scale was used to measure the symptoms of the psychosocial distress. Bivariate analysis with the help of Chi-square test was done to determine variations in the psychosocial distress experienced by OVC by age, gender, duration of stay on streets, education. Results: The mean age of the study participants was 15±2 years. About one third of the children showed symptoms of severe psycho-social distress with 30% of children showing signs of intentional self-harm. Age, education and duration of living on the streets were some of the factors that showed significant correlation with the levels of psychosocial distress. Conclusions: The study concludes that although institutional care and support from NGOs takes care of basic amenities such as shelter, food and education, there is a need to address the psychological needs of the children through teacher sensitization programmes. A well-informed caregiver would be able to address the needs of children under his supervision and care.