Purpose: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the level of food safety knowledge and practices among campers in the U.S.
Methods: Data collected by a market research company allowed researchers to recruit respondents across the U.S. The survey instrument was developed based on the literature review and face-to-face interviews; it was validated and pilot-tested prior to data collection. The variables were food safety knowledge (i.e., cross-contamination, hygiene practices, food cooking temperature, and common sources of FBO pathogens) and food safety practices (1 being “almost never”; 5 being “always”). Descriptive statistics for the data summary and inferential statistics like Pearson chi-square and t-tests were conducted to explore relationships among variables.
Results: A total of 338 surveys were collected from participants—18 years and above—who were interested in camping/hiking/outdoor activities (93.4%). Only 286 surveys were deemed usable for data analysis. The participants’ ages were 61.5 ± 13.6. Most were female (66.8%), white (95.8%), held bachelor degrees or above (65.3%), had no work experience in foodservice operations (75.1%), and had never undergone food safety training (85.7%). Participants received the highest score for the knowledge questions of safe cooking times/cooking temperatures/food storage (70.8%), followed by cross-contamination prevention (60%), groups at greatest risk for FBO (55%), common sources of FBO (48.8%), and foods that increase risk of FBO (43.3%). Overall, food safety knowledge was significantly associated with education (P < 0.01), food safety training experience (P < 0.05), and practices (3.6 ± 0.4) (P < 0.01).
Significance: Results will aid public awareness regarding the food safety risks associated with outdoor activities and may help food safety educators better understand U.S. campers’ food safety behaviors.