Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a behavior change intervention to improve glove use behaviors among college and university dining foodservice workers.
Methods: The “I’m Gloving It!” flyer that provided information about glove use in accordance with the 2005 Food Codeguidelines was developed. The term “I’m Gloving It!” was derived from the saying “I’m Loving It!” and serves as an innovative and creative way of educating younger foodservice workers about proper glove use. The flyer used visuals to convey the message of proper glove use in foodservice operations and a brief rationale of When? Why? and How?
A total of 64 hours of observational data was collected and behavior change was measured to assess the effectiveness of the glove use campaign (n = 32). Data was analyzed using SPSS 20.0, and descriptive statistics were calculated.
Results: It was found that glove use behaviors significantly improved among food handlers that received the proper glove use intervention. Non-compliance behavior among participants that did not receive any training was 66%, while non-compliance behaviors among participants that received training was 23%.
Significance: The visual tool was helpful in educating food handlers about proper glove use to help prevent foodborne illness and bring about change in food handling behaviors. Visual tools are a quick tool to educate foodservice workers of all generations, especially those belonging to the younger generation.