Purpose: The objective of this study was to determine baseline food safety knowledge and associated factors among high school students.
Methods: A convenience sample of 231 Chicago high school students was approached to participate in a 34-question knowledge survey to obtain information about their food safety knowledge, behaviors, and personal hygiene. Frequencies of correct answers to each knowledge question were examined to determine the knowledge gaps. Bivariate analyses were performed to identify student variables associated with the knowledge score and regression models were used to examine the associations between eligible factors and knowledge score.
Results: Among the 195 participating students, 70% described themselves as Hispanic/Latino and 15% as Non-Hispanic Black. Twelve percent of the students had prior restaurant employment experience. The overall student mean knowledge score was 37%. Students demonstrated substantial knowledge gaps regarding the optimal temperatures for cooking, proper mechanisms for thawing food, cross contamination, and vulnerable populations for foodborne disease. Overall, only 5% of students could explain cross-contamination in a kitchen and only 12% accurately identified that the only way to be certain that a frozen chicken breast is safe to eat is by checking its internal temperature with a metal stem thermometer. In the final linear regression model, Hispanic ethnicity and experience cooking seafood were significantly associated with lower knowledge score and experience cooking meat and cooking alone were significantly associated with higher knowledge score (P < 0.05).
Significance: These data demonstrate substantial knowledge gaps in a predominantly minority high school student population. Given that high school students are a substantial proportion of the food service workforce, they are especially important to target for food safety education.