Reporting of Foodborne Illness by U.S. Consumers and Healthcare Professionals

Susan Arendt, Lakshman Rajagopal, Catherine Strohbehn, Nathan Stokes, Janell Meyer and Steven Mandernach
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Susan Arendt: Department of Apparel, Events, and Hospitality Management, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA
Lakshman Rajagopal: Department of Apparel, Events, and Hospitality Management, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA
Catherine Strohbehn: Department of Apparel, Events, and Hospitality Management, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA
Nathan Stokes: Department of Apparel, Events, and Hospitality Management, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA
Janell Meyer: Department of Apparel, Events, and Hospitality Management, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA
Steven Mandernach: Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals, Des Moines, IA 50319, USA

IJERPH, 2013, vol. 10, issue 8, 1-31

Abstract: During 2009–2010, a total of 1,527 foodborne disease outbreaks were reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (2013). However, in a 2011 CDC report, Scallan et al. estimated about 48 million people contract a foodborne illness annually in the United States. Public health officials are concerned with this under-reporting; thus, the purpose of this study was to identify why consumers and healthcare professionals don’t report foodborne illness. Focus groups were conducted with 35 consumers who reported a previous experience with foodborne illness and with 16 healthcare professionals. Also, interviews with other healthcare professionals with responsibility of diagnosing foodborne illness were conducted. Not knowing who to contact, being too ill, being unsure of the cause, and believing reporting would not be beneficial were all identified by consumers as reasons for not reporting foodborne illness. Healthcare professionals that participated in the focus groups indicated the amount of time between patients’ consumption of food and seeking treatment and lack of knowledge were barriers to diagnosing foodborne illness. Issues related to stool samples such as knowledge, access and cost were noted by both groups. Results suggest that barriers identified could be overcome with targeted education and improved access and information about the reporting process.

Keywords: foodborne illness; diagnosis; healthcare professional; consumer (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2013
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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