Predicting intentions to adopt safe home food handling practices. Applying the theory of planned behavior.
While most home cooks know about safe home food handling procedures, compliance is generally low and has not been much improved by campaigns. Foodborne disease is a common cause of illness, hospitalization and even death, and many of these illnesses are caused by unsafe home food practices. Using the theory of planned behavior as a model, survey data were analyzed. Perceived behavioral control was the strongest predictor of behavioral intentions for both hand washing and food thermometer use. Subjective norm was the next strongest predictor for thermometer use, while attitude towards the behavior was the next strongest predictor for hand washing. This is consistent with earlier focus group results for thermometer use and suggests some possible strategies for designing future home food safety messages.
Department of Communication, 319 Kennedy Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA. mas29@cornell.edu
Michael A
MA
Shapiro
Norman
N
Porticella
L Crystal
LC
Jiang
Robert B
RB
Gravani
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003296:Cooking / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005511:Food Handling / Q000379:methods*; D059022:Food Safety / Q000379:methods*; D005517:Foodborne Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D006920:Hygiene; D033182:Intention; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior; D020377:Self Efficacy; D013696:Temperature; D013821:Thermometers; D055815:Young Adult