Knowledge, attitude and practice regarding food poisoning and its prevention in Malaysia: a systematic literature review

Abstract

Foodborne diseases, including food poisoning, are becoming a concern as the increasing prevalence of food poisoning and incidents worldwide. This study reviewed previous knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) studies on food safety and the prevention of food poisoning in Malaysia. This study also reviewed the behavioural evidence, similarities and differences of the KAP food safety and food poisoning prevention studies in Malaysia and provided an overview of the relationship between KAP level and the socio-demographic profile of the respondents. Sixteen studies covered from 2015 to 2020 (March 2020) were selected. Research was identified through Scopus and Web of Science as main databases and manual searching in Science Direct, PubMed and Springer-Link as the electronic database with Google Scholar as search engines. The journal (research articles) within last five years from 2015 to March 2020, the published articles are easily accessible for researchers, open access with full text, the language was limited to English, and research studies that were done in Malaysia. Knowledge was the most influential factor in the prevention of food poisoning. Ten articles reviewed showed that there was a good level, two studies showed a moderate level, and three studies reported a poor level of knowledge among respondents. For the attitude part, eight studies showed a positive attitude towards food safety attitudes and the prevention of food poisoning with a high level of satisfaction. However, one study had reported that there was a negative attitude to the prevention of food poisoning among respondents. For the practical part, six studies had a good level, two studies showed that there was an average score of food safely towards practices and food poisoning prevention, and one study reported that there were unsatisfactory food safety practices. In the reviewed studies, there was a positive association between KAP’s level of food poisoning prevention and its socio-demographic profile, including age, sex, ethnicity, education, income, work experience, and attending food safety and hygiene training. There is a need to improve knowledge, awareness and practice among the community on food safety due to the increase in foodborne disease cases in Malaysia.