Effectiveness of self-instructional module on food hygiene among the food handlers working in fast food centres of Gangtok, Sikkim

Background: Food hygiene refers to the cleanliness of all sorts of foods during their manufacturing, handling, distribution, and service. According to WHO, an estimated 600 million individuals- nearly one out of every ten people- become unwell each year after consuming contaminated food, leading to 420,000 deaths and the loss of 33 million healthy lives per year. The objective of the study was to compare the pre-test and post-test knowledge on food hygiene among the fast-food handlers of Gangtok, Sikkim. Methods: A pre-experimental, one-group pre-test-post-test design was adopted to conduct this study among 70 food handlers working in fast food centres of Gangtok, Sikkim. Simple random sampling technique was used to select the participants. The data was collected by using demographic proforma and semi-structured knowledge questionnaire. A self-instructional module was provided to the participants after pre-test and post-test was conducted after 7 days. Statistical analysis was performed in SPSS. Results: The result of the present study for the knowledge on food hygiene showed that majority (87.1%) of the fast-food handlers had average knowledge in pre-test and majority (77.1%) had good knowledge in post-test with a mean score difference of 5. Significant association was found between the pre-test knowledge on food hygiene with educational qualification (p=0.014). Conclusions: The study findings revealed that the self-instructional module was effective in improving knowledge of the fast-food handlers and it helped to know the current scenario regarding food hygiene among the fast-food handlers working in Gangtok, Sikkim.