Food safety knowledge, attitudes and self-reported practices among home care attendants involved in meal preparation in Taiwan

Purpose This study examined food safety knowledge, attitudes and self-reported practices (KAP) among home care attendants involved in meal preparation in New Taipei City, Taiwan. It also assessed whether knowledge and attitudes accounted for additional variance in safer self-reported practices beyond demographic characteristics. Design/methodology/approach A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted among certified home care attendants working in home-based long-term care agencies between February and May 2022. A total of 387 complete responses were analysed. The questionnaire included food safety knowledge (16 items), attitudes (13 items) and self-reported practices (11 items). Descriptive statistics, internal consistency analysis, Pearson correlation and hierarchical linear regression were performed. Regression diagnostics and sensitivity analyses were also conducted. The questionnaire was reviewed by four experts and pretested with 20 participants; further psychometric validation is warranted. Findings All three scales showed acceptable internal consistency. Knowledge, attitudes and self-reported practices were positively correlated. Demographic characteristics alone accounted for little variance in self-reported practices. Adding knowledge and attitudes substantially improved model performance, and both domains were independently associated with safer self-reported practices. Weak points were identified in safe thawing, foodborne illness recognition and selected hygiene-related attitudes. Originality/value This study extends food safety KAP research to home care attendants, an under-studied domestic food-handling workforce that supports older adults in private households. The findings identify training-relevant knowledge, attitude and self-reported practice areas that warrant more explicit attention in home-care training and continuing education.