Effect of Smartphone App’s Intervention on Consumers’ Knowledge, Attitude, Practice, and Perception of Food Poisoning Prevention When Dining Out at Selected Rural Areas in Terengganu

Nur Afifah Mursyida Zaujan, Asma’ Ali, Malina Osman, Hui Yee Chee, Nur Raihana Ithnin, Norashiqin Misni, Surianti Sukeri and Christie Pei-Yee Chin
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Nur Afifah Mursyida Zaujan: Faculty of Fisheries and Food Science, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, Kuala Nerus 21030, Terengganu, Malaysia
Asma’ Ali: Faculty of Fisheries and Food Science, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, Kuala Nerus 21030, Terengganu, Malaysia
Malina Osman: Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
Hui Yee Chee: Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
Nur Raihana Ithnin: Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
Norashiqin Misni: Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
Surianti Sukeri: Department of Community Medicine, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kota Bharu 16150, Kelantan, Malaysia
Christie Pei-Yee Chin: Faculty of Computing and Informatics, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Kota Kinabalu 88300, Sabah, Malaysia

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 19, 1-20

Abstract: (1) Background: Lack of food safety awareness and preventive behaviour when dining out increases the risk of food poisoning. Furthermore, food poisoning cases among rural communities have been rising in recent years. However, the health-related mobile application is a promising tool in improving food poisoning prevention knowledge, attitude, practice, and perception (KAP2) among consumers. Therefore, the current study developed a novel smartphone app, MyWarung©, and determined its efficacy in increasing awareness, attitude, practice, and perception of food poisoning and its prevention when dining out, especially among rural consumers. (2) Methods: A quasi-experimental pre-and post-intervention study with a control and intervention group were performed on 100 consumers in Terengganu. (3) Results: The intervention’s inter-group outcomes were analysed using the Mann–Whitney test, while the within-group effects were ascertained using the Wilcoxon sign rank test via the SPSS software. It was found that the control group had higher median scores in knowledge (30.0, IQR 7.0), attitude (46.0, IQR 5.0), and practice (34.0, IQR 3.0) than the intervention group before intervention. After the intervention programme, the intervention group showed significant improvement in food poisoning knowledge ( p = 0.000), attitude ( p = 0.001), and practice ( p = 0.000). However, the intervention group’s perceived barriers ( p = 0.129) and susceptibility ( p = 0.069) and the control group’s perceived barriers ( p = 0.422) did not show any significant improvement. (4) Conclusion: The findings indicated that the MyWarung© mobile app usage enhanced the food poisoning knowledge, preventive attitude, and practice among consumers when dining out.

Keywords: food poisoning prevention; mobile application; knowledge; attitude; practice; perception; rural area (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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