Dataset Information

Magnitude of intestinal parasitic infections and associated factors among food handlers working at Woldia University student's cafeteria, Northeastern Ethiopia: an institution based cross-sectional study.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

The main aim of this study was to assess the Magnitude of intestinal parasitic infections and associated factors among food handlers working at Woldia University Student's cafeteria, Northeastern Ethiopia. Institutional based cross-sectional study was conducted among 256 study participants in Woldia university student's cafeteria, Northern Ethiopia. Systematic random sampling method was used to select the study participants. Data was collected using a standardized questionnaire by direct interviewing of study participants. Logistic regression was carried out to identify factors associated with intestinal parasitic infections.

Results

A total of 256 food handlers were enrolled making the overall magnitude of the intestinal parasite which was stool specimens positive for different diagnostic stages of parasites was found to be 43 (16.8%). Entamoeba histolytica/dispar was the most prevalent parasites 14 (5.5%), followed by Giardia lamblia 10 (3.9%). Lack of food safety training (AOR?=?6.58; 95% CI 2.46-17.62), no regular medical checkup (AOR?=?2.41; 95% CI 1.47-4.24), no handwashing practice after toilet by soap (AOR?=?3.24; 95% CI 1.28-8.19), no handwashing practice before eating by soap (AOR?=?4.03; 95% CI 1.64-9.91) and haven't food preparation license (AOR?=?6.13; 95% CI 2.18-17.22) were significantly associated with parasitic infection among food handlers.

SUBMITTER: Alemnew B

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6844021 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Magnitude of intestinal parasitic infections and associated factors among food handlers working at Woldia University student's cafeteria, Northeastern Ethiopia: an institution based cross-sectional study.

Alemnew Birhan B Belay Yalemzewud Y Demis Asmamaw A

BMC research notes 20191108 1

<h4>Objectives</h4>The main aim of this study was to assess the Magnitude of intestinal parasitic infections and associated factors among food handlers working at Woldia University Student's cafeteria, Northeastern Ethiopia. Institutional based cross-sectional study was conducted among 256 study participants in Woldia university student's cafeteria, Northern Ethiopia. Systematic random sampling method was used to select the study participants. Data was collected using a standardized questionnair ...[more]

PMID: 31711535

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Project description:BackgroundIntestinal infection is still an important public health problem in low-income countries. Food handlers may be infected by a wide range of enteropathogens and have been implicated in the transmission of many infections to the public. Therefore, the aim of this review was to produce the pooled prevalence and factors associated with intestinal parasitic infections among food handlers working at higher public University student's cafeterias and public food establishments in Ethiopia.MethodsArticles published in PubMed/Medline, Hinari, Web of Science, Science Direct, and Google Scholar were used using a search strategy. Observational studies (cross-sectional) revealing the prevalence and factors associated with intestinal parasitic infections at higher public University student's cafeterias and public food establishments were incorporated. Meta-analysis was computed using STATA version 14 statistical software. Heterogeneity of the study was assessed using Cochrane Q test statistics and I2 test. The pooled prevalence of the intestinal parasitic infection and associated factors among food handlers was calculated by the random-effect model.ResultsOut of 138 reviewed studies, 18 studies were included to estimate the pooled prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections among food handlers in Ethiopia. All the eighteen articles were included in the analysis. This study revealed that the pooled prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections was 28.5% (95% CI: 27.4, 29.7). E. hystolitica /E. dispar complex 6.38 (95% Cl: 5.73, 7.04), A.lumbricodes 4.12 (95% Cl: 3.56, 4.67), and G. lamblia 3.12(95% Cl: 2.65, 3.60) were the most common intestinal parasitic infections in this study. Untrimmed fingernail 3.04 (95% CI: 2.19, 4.22), do not washing hands after defecation 2.71 (95% CI: 1.93, 3.82), do not washing hands after touching any body parts 2.41 (95% CI: 1.64, 3.56), do not made medical checkup 2.26 (95% CI: 1.57, 3.25), and do not receive food safety training 1.79 (95% CI: 1.30, 2.45) were factors significantly and positively associated with intestinal parasitic infections.ConclusionParasitic infections among food handlers were significantly high. Untrimmed fingernail, do not washing hands after defecation, do not washing hands after touching any body parts, do not made regular medical checkup and do not receive food safety training were factors that increase the prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections.

Project description:Background:Intestinal parasitic infection is one of the major health problems globally. It is more common in developing countries including Ethiopia. So, adequate evidence is needed regarding the predictors of intestinal parasitic infection. This study was aimed at determining the predictors of intestinal parasitic infection among food handlers working in Madda Walabu University, Ethiopia. Methods:An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted from 15 May to 10 June 2017 among 198 symptom-free food handlers. Data on sociodemographic variables were collected through face-to-face interview using a structured questionnaire. Stool samples were collected immediately after the interview using labeled wide-mouthed plastic container and clean wooden applicator. Direct wet-mount method and formal-ether concentration techniques were performed to identify intestinal parasites. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 21.0. Descriptive statistics and crude and adjusted odds ratios with 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated. p value of <0.05 was considered to declaration level of significance. Result:The response rate was 98% (198/202). The overall prevalence of intestinal parasites was 25.3% (50/198). The top three intestinal parasites found in this study were Ascaris lumbricoides 7.6% (15/198), Entamoeba histolytica/dispar 7.6% (15/198), and hookworm 5.6% (11/198). Inadequate handwashing practice (AOR: 13.876; 95% CI: 4.129, 46.632), inadequate knowledge about foodborne diseases (AOR: 3.596; 95% CI: 1.438, 8.989), lack of training on proper food handling (AOR: 5.960; 95% CI: 1.450, 24.497), and untrimmed fingernail (AOR: 2.939; 95% CI: 1.368, 6.135) were independent predictors of intestinal parasitic infection. Conclusion:High prevalence of intestinal parasites was observed among symptom-free food handlers who could be unobservable source of disease transmission. Inadequate handwashing, untrimmed fingernail, inadequate knowledge, and lack of training were independent predictors of intestinal parasitic infection in this study. This implies the need for timely and adequate training and enforcement of regular medical checkup system for food handlers.

Project description:The food safety issue is often overlooked in countries where food shortages, natural disasters, political tensions, and other major concerns dominate government and media agendas. As a result, the current study sought to assess food safety practices and associated factors among food handlers at Woldia University's student cafeteria. An institutional cross-sectional study was conducted between May and July 2021, and a sample of 291 subjects was recruited through a simple random sampling technique. Questionnaires, focus group discussions, interviews, and observation methods were used as data collection tools. Data analysis was performed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20 software. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regressions were used to determine the effect of various factors on the outcome variable and control for confounding effects. p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. However, some variables are significant even at p < 0.001. The results were described by frequencies and percentages. The current study found that the factors of not having had food hygiene training (AOR = 2.111, 95% CI = (1.029 - 4.428)), less than or equal to one year of work experience (AOR = 3.070, 95% CI = (2.020 - 10.246)), poor knowledge (AOR = 1.285, 95% CI = (0.125 - 0.849)) and poor attitude (AOR = 1.190, 95% CI = (1.361 - 9.393)), not keeping cooked food at a safe temperature (AOR = 3.037, 95% CI = (1.021 - 12.096)), failure to respect the safety of cooking utensils and surfaces (AOR = 2.022, 95% CI = (1.551 - 9.689)), insufficient cleanliness of eating areas (AOR = 2.430, 95% CI = (1.983 - 6.217)), not covering hair when cooking food (AOR = 5.903, 95% CI = (2.243 - 9.621)), and not washing hands before starting to handle food (AOR = 10.019, 95% CI = (4.031 - 24.063)) were statistically associated with unhygienic food handling practices. The results of this study indicated that the state of food safety practices was poor. Therefore, food safety assurance must comply with modern food safety frameworks such as Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP). In addition, addressing knowledge and skill gaps among food handlers, regular inspection services, and effective enforcement of food safety regulations are extremely essential. Finally, future studies should focus on enumerating bacteria and protozoa in unsanitary foods and utensils.

Project description:BackgroundThe rapid growth of urban populations has led to a dramatic increase in urban waste generation with environmental and public health problems associated with water contamination, emission of toxic and noxious fumes, soil contamination and introduction of disease vector populations.ObjectivesThe aim of the present study was to assess solid waste disposal practices and challenges of solid waste management in Woldia town, northeastern Ethiopia.MethodsA descriptive research design was employed, using a survey method and naturalistic observational methods. A total of 236 households were surveyed, including waste collectors and cleaners, waste pickers, and 20 students and ten teachers from Woldia secondary and preparatory schools. A purposive sampling technique (made up of municipal officers, scavengers (waste pickers), waste collectors and cleaners and a simple random sampling technique (of teachers, students and kebeles of the study area) was employed, then proportional allocation was made for each randomly selected kebeles based on population size to determine the sample. Finally, survey questionnaire, interview, focus group discussion and observation were used as data collecting tools. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were also employed.ResultsThe current study revealed that educational status (AOR = 10.92, 95% CI = (3.12-38.27)), occupational status (AOR = 8.08, 95% CI = (2.08-31.31)), monthly income (AOR = 5.72, 95% CI = (1.55-21.13)), and age (AOR = 2.53, 95% CI = (1.04-6.19)) were found to be the major factors associated with solid waste management practices. Additionally, shortage of storage materials, lack of alternative waste disposal options, household attitudes, and lack of awareness were the major challenges for low performance of solid waste management practices of the local government and households. The focus group individuals and interviewed participants indicated that solid waste management practices were poor.ConclusionsThe present study revealed that solid waste management practices in Woldia town remain inadequate. Therefore, efforts by the municipality and other stakeholders are needed to mitigate the problem of waste management and disposal practices.Participant consentObtained.Ethics approvalThe study was approved by the Institutional Research Ethics Review committee (IRERC) of Woldia University.Competing interestsThe authors declare no competing financial interests.

Project description:Working sheepdog trials test the attributes of dogs as well as the dogmanship and stockmanship skills of handlers. They generally include standard elements such as outrun, lift, fetch, drive, shed, pen and single to test all facets of the work that dogs perform on a farm. While both male and female handlers participate, these trials are traditionally dominated by male handlers. Both male and female dogs compete on equal terms within the same events. Drawing data from files (n = 60) downloaded from YouTube, the current study explores whether behaviours of dogs and their handlers during sheepdog trials differ between handler gender and dog sex at different levels of competition. It compared the stalking, crouching, chasing and stationary behaviours of dogs in open (n = 28 dogs: 10 females, 18 males) and not-open trials (n = 32 dogs: 20 females, 12 males). The dogs in this study had male (n = 38) and female (n = 22) handlers, whose movement and use of vocal cues and arm elevations were also compared. However, the small sample size and limitations of these videos as a data source should be noted before the results are generalised to the broader field of working-dog behaviour. The results of an REstricted Maximum Likelihood test showed that male handlers spent, on average, significantly more time in the fetch and drive elements than female handlers, but this difference between sexes was present only in not-open events (mean time to Fetch, female handler = 44.07s, male handler = 124.00s, P<0.001, mean time to Drive, female handler = 95.8s, male handler = 152.4, P = 0.010). This may suggest that female handlers of less experienced dogs are better at the early training of these elements. The results showed that male dogs spent more time stationary than female dogs, but only in open competition (male dog predicted mean 6.17s, P = 0.014). Revealing differences between men/women, and between dogs/bitches in this context may identify pairings that complement each other and improve selection, training and handling of working dogs. It is also hoped that ultimately, it will lead to improved welfare for dogs and the livestock with which they interact.

Project description:Globally about one third of the total population is estimated to be infected with intestinal parasites, of which, the majority are people living in tropical and sub-tropical parts of the world. Cases of intestinal parasitosis are also highly abundant in Ethiopia and hence the aim of present study was to assess prevalence and predictors of intestinal parasitic infections among food handlers working in Arba Minch University students' cafeteria, South Ethiopia.A cross sectional study was conducted among food handlers working in Arba Minch University from April to June, 2015. A pretested structured questionnaire was used for collecting data about socio-demographic characteristics and possible risk factors. Stool specimens were collected and examined microscopically for the presence of eggs, cysts and trophozoites of intestinal parasites. Data entry and analysis were done using SPSS version 20 software.A total of 376 food handlers were enrolled in the study of which thirty one of them were not willing to participate for a stool examination. The majority of study participants were females 273 (72.6 %). About 123 (36 %) of food handlers were found to be positive for different intestinal parasites with the most abundant parasite of Entamoeba histolytica/dispar 48 (14 %) followed by Ascaris lumbricoides 32 (9.27 %). Finger nail status (AOR: 2.2, 95 % CI: 1.29-3.72), hand washing practice after toilet (AOR: 1.71, 95 % CI: 1.06-2.77), hand washing practice before food handling (AOR: 1.69, 95 % CI: 1.04-2.75), preparing food when suffering from diseases (AOR: 3.08, 95 % CI: 1.17-8.13), and using common knife for cutting raw flesh food and other food (AOR: 1.72, 95 % CI: 1.01-2.92) were independent predictors of intestinal parasitic infection among the food handlers.This study revealed a high prevalence of intestinal parasites among food handlers. Since most of the intestinal parasites are transmitted by the feco-oral route, food handlers could be an important source of infection to the students and general population. Therefore, constant epidemiological surveillance through biannual routine parasitological tests and treatment of the infected cases along with the improvement of personal hygiene and environmental sanitation are recommended to control the parasitic infection in food handlers.

Project description:Therapy dogs provide health benefits for individuals who suffer from illnesses, such as dementia, depression, loneliness, and aggression. Therapy dogs' impact on human health has been thoroughly studied; however, studies on dog welfare have been limited. Additionally, as dogs have evolved with humans, they have learned to read non-verbal social cues. Dogs can read humans' non-verbal body language and can react to their emotions. However, the body language of dogs is poorly understood and can lead to dog owner-directed aggression. Communication plays a vital role to be a cohesive therapy team. The purpose of this study was to assess perceived stress and cortisol concentrations in therapy dogs and their handlers during the first three visits in a hospital setting. Moreover, the study aimed to investigate whether, while in an overstimulating environment, a therapy dog handler can observe his or her dog's body language and correlate such observations to the dog's stress. Nine therapy dog teams from Mayo Clinic's Caring Canine Program participated in this study. A baseline salivary cortisol was collected from the handler and therapy dog each day of the visits. Once the team arrived, a pre-visit salivary cortisol was collected from the handler and therapy dog and, afterward, a post-visit salivary cortisol. Handlers were also asked to fill out a perceived stress survey on their own stress and that of their therapy dogs'. Behavior was documented by a staff member and the handler. For each visit, the therapy dogs were at the hospital on average 47 min and visited with nine people. There was significant correlation (P = 0.02) between the owner's perceived stress of his or her therapy dog and the dog's salivary cortisol concentrations. The handlers noted medium to high stress, and those dogs had higher cortisol concentrations post-visit. There was no significant difference in salivary cortisol for the handler and therapy dog over the course of the three visits and comparing pre- and post-visit. Overall, the dogs displayed mixed behaviors, with the three most reported being panting, lip licking, and yawning. However, salivary cortisol results suggest that the handlers and therapy dogs maintained their welfare state throughout the visits.

Project description:BackgroundThe devastating scourge of cervical cancer in Africa is largely due to the absence of preventive interventions, driven by low awareness and poor perception of the disease in the continent. This work is a preliminary effort toward understanding key social drivers promoting this disease in our immediate environment with a view to mitigating it.MethodFemale students of two tertiary health institutions in Azare, northeastern Nigeria, were approached to participate in this cross-sectional descriptive study. A structured self-administered questionnaire was administered to consenting participants and covered questions on their socio-demographics, awareness, perception, and attitude about/toward cervical cancer and its prevention. The responses were scrutinized for coherency and categorized into themes using summary statistics, while a chi-square test was used to determine the association between awareness of cervical cancer and participant age, marital status, religion, screening uptake, and willingness to undergo screen.ResultsAwareness of cervical cancer was recorded among 174/230 (75.7%) respondents who enrolled in this study; 117 (67.2%) knew that it was preventable, but only three (1.3%) respondents had undergone screening. Among the aware participants, 91 (52.3%) and 131 (75.3%) knew that sexual intercourse and multiple sexual partners are risk factors for the disease, respectively. In contrast, knowledge of the etiology was poor; 82 (47.1%) respondents who knew it was preventable had heard about human papillomavirus (HPV), while 72 (41.4%) knew that HPV causes cervical cancer. Most (78%) of the participants expressed willingness to take a human papillomavirus vaccine or undergo screening (84.6%) if made available to them. Awareness was significantly associated with participants' age (p = 0.022) and willingness to undergo screening (p = 0.016).ConclusionThis study revealed discordance between awareness and knowledge about cervical cancer. Educational initiatives reflective of population perception/knowledge of cervical cancer are needed to mitigate the rising incidence of this disease, especially among female healthcare providers.

Dataset Information

Magnitude of intestinal parasitic infections and associated factors among food handlers working at Woldia University student's cafeteria, Northeastern Ethiopia: an institution based cross-sectional study.

Objectives

Results

Publications

Magnitude of intestinal parasitic infections and associated factors among food handlers working at Woldia University student's cafeteria, Northeastern Ethiopia: an institution based cross-sectional study.

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