Development and Validation of the Household Food Safety Questionnaire

Health problems associated with the consumption of foods that do not meet the hygiene and epidemiological standards are not of recent date and have been occurring continuously throughout the history of human existence. The incidence of food poisoning and foodborne transmissible diseases is three times more common in-home kitchens and households. Restaurant poisoning generally involves a larger number of people, whereas a home-based one involves individuals or a small number of people, so its likelihood of identification by the competent authority or public health organizations and services are significantly smaller. The development of the household food safety questionnaire (HFSQ) for the general population went through five phases (preparation of the questionnaire, distribution of the questionnaire to panelists and then the respondents, statistical analysis and the formation of the final version of the validated questionnaire). A total of 58 particles that formed the basis of the questionnaire were divided into four segments: demographic (10), knowledge (17), opinion (14) and food safety practice (17). Overall, the validity of the questionnaire in examining practice, knowledge and attitude was determined with Cronbach’s alpha = 0.842. The total number of particles adequate for the questionnaire is 29 questions. This questionnaire is a good instrument for assessing the knowledge, attitudes and practices of food handlers in their households.