Evaluation of Knowledge and Practices Related to Safe Food Handling Among Bangladeshi University Students

Aysha Siddika

doi:doi:10.11648/j.ijsr.20260101.12

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Evaluation of Knowledge and Practices Related to Safe Food Handling Among Bangladeshi University Students

Aysha Siddika^*

Published in International Journal of Safety Research (Volume 1, Issue 1)

Received: 5 September 2025 Accepted: 19 September 2025 Published: 8 January 2026

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Abstract

Ensuring safe food handling is essential for reducing the global burden of foodborne infections. In this context, knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) related to food safety play a central role in prevention, particularly among university students who are developing independent dietary and food-handling behaviors. Therefore, the present study was conducted to assess food safety KAP among university students in Bangladesh and to examine the influence of socio-demographic characteristics. To achieve this aim, a cross-sectional survey was carried out among 200 students from four public universities. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire covering demographic variables, food safety knowledge, attitudes, and self-reported practices. Subsequently, descriptive statistics were applied for analysis. The findings revealed that students demonstrated strong knowledge of basic hygiene; for instance, 97.9% recognized proper handwashing, 98.5% supported covering hair during cooking, and 92.3% acknowledged the importance of sanitizers for kitchen surfaces. However, deficiencies were noted in technical aspects, as only 42.6% correctly identified safe thawing methods, and fewer than 3% reported the use of food thermometers. Furthermore, attitudes toward food safety were generally positive, with 97.5% supporting the separation of raw and cooked foods and 93.0% emphasizing the prompt refrigeration of leftovers. In contrast, reported practices were less consistent: 73.4% washed hands before food preparation, 64.8% stored raw and cooked foods separately, and only 33.2% covered wounds while handling food. Moreover, pharmacy students demonstrated higher knowledge levels, while urban students were more likely to implement safe practices. Taken together, the results suggest that although university students in Bangladesh display sound knowledge and favorable attitudes toward food safety, their practices remain suboptimal. Consequently, interventions focusing on behavioral change, skills-based training, and improved resource availability are required to bridge the knowledge-practice gap.

Published in	International Journal of Safety Research (Volume 1, Issue 1)
DOI	10.11648/j.ijsr.20260101.12
Page(s)	6-15
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2026. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Food Safety, KAP, University Students, Hygiene, Cross-contamination, Public Health, Education

References

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Siddika, A. (2026). Evaluation of Knowledge and Practices Related to Safe Food Handling Among Bangladeshi University Students. International Journal of Safety Research, 1(1), 6-15. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijsr.20260101.12

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ACS Style

Siddika, A. Evaluation of Knowledge and Practices Related to Safe Food Handling Among Bangladeshi University Students. Int. J. Saf. Res. 2026, 1(1), 6-15. doi: 10.11648/j.ijsr.20260101.12

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Siddika A. Evaluation of Knowledge and Practices Related to Safe Food Handling Among Bangladeshi University Students. Int J Saf Res. 2026;1(1):6-15. doi: 10.11648/j.ijsr.20260101.12

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@article{10.11648/j.ijsr.20260101.12,
  author = {Aysha Siddika},
  title = {Evaluation of Knowledge and Practices Related to Safe Food Handling Among Bangladeshi University Students},
  journal = {International Journal of Safety Research},
  volume = {1},
  number = {1},
  pages = {6-15},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ijsr.20260101.12},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijsr.20260101.12},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijsr.20260101.12},
  abstract = {Ensuring safe food handling is essential for reducing the global burden of foodborne infections. In this context, knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) related to food safety play a central role in prevention, particularly among university students who are developing independent dietary and food-handling behaviors. Therefore, the present study was conducted to assess food safety KAP among university students in Bangladesh and to examine the influence of socio-demographic characteristics. To achieve this aim, a cross-sectional survey was carried out among 200 students from four public universities. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire covering demographic variables, food safety knowledge, attitudes, and self-reported practices. Subsequently, descriptive statistics were applied for analysis. The findings revealed that students demonstrated strong knowledge of basic hygiene; for instance, 97.9% recognized proper handwashing, 98.5% supported covering hair during cooking, and 92.3% acknowledged the importance of sanitizers for kitchen surfaces. However, deficiencies were noted in technical aspects, as only 42.6% correctly identified safe thawing methods, and fewer than 3% reported the use of food thermometers. Furthermore, attitudes toward food safety were generally positive, with 97.5% supporting the separation of raw and cooked foods and 93.0% emphasizing the prompt refrigeration of leftovers. In contrast, reported practices were less consistent: 73.4% washed hands before food preparation, 64.8% stored raw and cooked foods separately, and only 33.2% covered wounds while handling food. Moreover, pharmacy students demonstrated higher knowledge levels, while urban students were more likely to implement safe practices. Taken together, the results suggest that although university students in Bangladesh display sound knowledge and favorable attitudes toward food safety, their practices remain suboptimal. Consequently, interventions focusing on behavioral change, skills-based training, and improved resource availability are required to bridge the knowledge-practice gap.},
 year = {2026}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - Evaluation of Knowledge and Practices Related to Safe Food Handling Among Bangladeshi University Students
AU  - Aysha Siddika
Y1  - 2026/01/08
PY  - 2026
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijsr.20260101.12
DO  - 10.11648/j.ijsr.20260101.12
T2  - International Journal of Safety Research
JF  - International Journal of Safety Research
JO  - International Journal of Safety Research
SP  - 6
EP  - 15
PB  - Science Publishing Group
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijsr.20260101.12
AB  - Ensuring safe food handling is essential for reducing the global burden of foodborne infections. In this context, knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) related to food safety play a central role in prevention, particularly among university students who are developing independent dietary and food-handling behaviors. Therefore, the present study was conducted to assess food safety KAP among university students in Bangladesh and to examine the influence of socio-demographic characteristics. To achieve this aim, a cross-sectional survey was carried out among 200 students from four public universities. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire covering demographic variables, food safety knowledge, attitudes, and self-reported practices. Subsequently, descriptive statistics were applied for analysis. The findings revealed that students demonstrated strong knowledge of basic hygiene; for instance, 97.9% recognized proper handwashing, 98.5% supported covering hair during cooking, and 92.3% acknowledged the importance of sanitizers for kitchen surfaces. However, deficiencies were noted in technical aspects, as only 42.6% correctly identified safe thawing methods, and fewer than 3% reported the use of food thermometers. Furthermore, attitudes toward food safety were generally positive, with 97.5% supporting the separation of raw and cooked foods and 93.0% emphasizing the prompt refrigeration of leftovers. In contrast, reported practices were less consistent: 73.4% washed hands before food preparation, 64.8% stored raw and cooked foods separately, and only 33.2% covered wounds while handling food. Moreover, pharmacy students demonstrated higher knowledge levels, while urban students were more likely to implement safe practices. Taken together, the results suggest that although university students in Bangladesh display sound knowledge and favorable attitudes toward food safety, their practices remain suboptimal. Consequently, interventions focusing on behavioral change, skills-based training, and improved resource availability are required to bridge the knowledge-practice gap.
VL  - 1
IS  - 1
ER  -

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Aysha Siddika

Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education, Ministry of Education, Dhaka, Bangladesh

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http://orcid.org/0009-0008-3639-9806

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Siddika, A. (2026). Evaluation of Knowledge and Practices Related to Safe Food Handling Among Bangladeshi University Students. International Journal of Safety Research, 1(1), 6-15. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijsr.20260101.12

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ACS Style

Siddika, A. Evaluation of Knowledge and Practices Related to Safe Food Handling Among Bangladeshi University Students. Int. J. Saf. Res. 2026, 1(1), 6-15. doi: 10.11648/j.ijsr.20260101.12

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AMA Style

Siddika A. Evaluation of Knowledge and Practices Related to Safe Food Handling Among Bangladeshi University Students. Int J Saf Res. 2026;1(1):6-15. doi: 10.11648/j.ijsr.20260101.12

Copy | Download

@article{10.11648/j.ijsr.20260101.12,
  author = {Aysha Siddika},
  title = {Evaluation of Knowledge and Practices Related to Safe Food Handling Among Bangladeshi University Students},
  journal = {International Journal of Safety Research},
  volume = {1},
  number = {1},
  pages = {6-15},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ijsr.20260101.12},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijsr.20260101.12},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijsr.20260101.12},
  abstract = {Ensuring safe food handling is essential for reducing the global burden of foodborne infections. In this context, knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) related to food safety play a central role in prevention, particularly among university students who are developing independent dietary and food-handling behaviors. Therefore, the present study was conducted to assess food safety KAP among university students in Bangladesh and to examine the influence of socio-demographic characteristics. To achieve this aim, a cross-sectional survey was carried out among 200 students from four public universities. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire covering demographic variables, food safety knowledge, attitudes, and self-reported practices. Subsequently, descriptive statistics were applied for analysis. The findings revealed that students demonstrated strong knowledge of basic hygiene; for instance, 97.9% recognized proper handwashing, 98.5% supported covering hair during cooking, and 92.3% acknowledged the importance of sanitizers for kitchen surfaces. However, deficiencies were noted in technical aspects, as only 42.6% correctly identified safe thawing methods, and fewer than 3% reported the use of food thermometers. Furthermore, attitudes toward food safety were generally positive, with 97.5% supporting the separation of raw and cooked foods and 93.0% emphasizing the prompt refrigeration of leftovers. In contrast, reported practices were less consistent: 73.4% washed hands before food preparation, 64.8% stored raw and cooked foods separately, and only 33.2% covered wounds while handling food. Moreover, pharmacy students demonstrated higher knowledge levels, while urban students were more likely to implement safe practices. Taken together, the results suggest that although university students in Bangladesh display sound knowledge and favorable attitudes toward food safety, their practices remain suboptimal. Consequently, interventions focusing on behavioral change, skills-based training, and improved resource availability are required to bridge the knowledge-practice gap.},
 year = {2026}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - Evaluation of Knowledge and Practices Related to Safe Food Handling Among Bangladeshi University Students
AU  - Aysha Siddika
Y1  - 2026/01/08
PY  - 2026
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijsr.20260101.12
DO  - 10.11648/j.ijsr.20260101.12
T2  - International Journal of Safety Research
JF  - International Journal of Safety Research
JO  - International Journal of Safety Research
SP  - 6
EP  - 15
PB  - Science Publishing Group
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijsr.20260101.12
AB  - Ensuring safe food handling is essential for reducing the global burden of foodborne infections. In this context, knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) related to food safety play a central role in prevention, particularly among university students who are developing independent dietary and food-handling behaviors. Therefore, the present study was conducted to assess food safety KAP among university students in Bangladesh and to examine the influence of socio-demographic characteristics. To achieve this aim, a cross-sectional survey was carried out among 200 students from four public universities. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire covering demographic variables, food safety knowledge, attitudes, and self-reported practices. Subsequently, descriptive statistics were applied for analysis. The findings revealed that students demonstrated strong knowledge of basic hygiene; for instance, 97.9% recognized proper handwashing, 98.5% supported covering hair during cooking, and 92.3% acknowledged the importance of sanitizers for kitchen surfaces. However, deficiencies were noted in technical aspects, as only 42.6% correctly identified safe thawing methods, and fewer than 3% reported the use of food thermometers. Furthermore, attitudes toward food safety were generally positive, with 97.5% supporting the separation of raw and cooked foods and 93.0% emphasizing the prompt refrigeration of leftovers. In contrast, reported practices were less consistent: 73.4% washed hands before food preparation, 64.8% stored raw and cooked foods separately, and only 33.2% covered wounds while handling food. Moreover, pharmacy students demonstrated higher knowledge levels, while urban students were more likely to implement safe practices. Taken together, the results suggest that although university students in Bangladesh display sound knowledge and favorable attitudes toward food safety, their practices remain suboptimal. Consequently, interventions focusing on behavioral change, skills-based training, and improved resource availability are required to bridge the knowledge-practice gap.
VL  - 1
IS  - 1
ER  -

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