Knowledge of Personal Hygiene Among Street Food Vendors and Canteen Food Handlers in Kano: A Mixed Methods Study

Background: The burden of food-borne diseases is becoming a global problem. The aim of this study was to assess and compare personal hygiene knowledge among street food vendors and canteen food handlers in the Kano metropolis.

Methodology: An explanatory sequential mixed methods study was carried out using a structured interviewer-administered questionnaire, focus group discussion guide and observation checklist, to assess and compare personal hygiene knowledge among street food vendors and canteen food handlers in Kano metropolis, Nigeria. Quantitative data was analyzed at univariate, bivariate and multivariate levels using SPSS version 20.0 at a 5% α level of significance. Thematic analysis was used to analyze verbatim transcripts from qualitative interviews.

Results: The response rates were 305/310 (98.4%) and 288/310 (92.9%) among street food vendors and canteen food handlers, respectively. The proportions of street food vendors and canteen food handlers with poor, fair and good knowledge of personal hygiene were (29.5% versus 19.8%), (51.8% versus 54.2%) and (18.7% versus 26.0%), respectively (p=0.009). There was a statistically significant association between education and knowledge of personal hygiene among street food vendors (p=0.03) and canteen food handlers (p=0.04). Though slightly better among canteen food handlers, narratives by the two groups of food handlers pointed to the general lack of awareness of basic personal hygiene which was supported by the findings from observation.

Conclusion: Personal hygiene knowledge was poor among the two groups of food handlers; therefore, the Government should ensure legislation and enforcement involving training of food vendors, periodic medical examination, and issuance of fitness certificate to all food vendors.