Using Theory of Planned Behavior to Predict School Nutrition Employees’ Intentions to Use a Thermometer for Temperature Control

Introduction: The risk of large-scale foodborne outbreaks in schools is high given that greater than 247 million meals and snacks are served annually.  The Food and Drug Administration identified temperature control as one risk factor in schools. Thus, temperature monitoring can impact the occurrence of foodborne illness.  Ajzen’s Theory of Planned Behavior (TpB) states that attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral controls can best predict a person’s behavioral intention.  The TpB can be used as a tool to motivate employees’ behavior change after predicting behavioral intention.

Purpose: Identify school nutrition employees’ attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral controls, and behavioral intentions to use a thermometer for temperature control for food production. 

Methods: A total of 3,850 questionnaires were mailed to 163 participating school districts and distributed to employees. The questionnaire used 31 questions to assess direct measures including attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral controls; indirect measures including four behavioral beliefs, nine normative beliefs, and five control beliefs; and respondents’ demographics.  Principle Axis Factor Analysis and Multiple Regression were used for data analysis. 

Results: Analyses consisted of a total of 408 questionnaires. The direct measures of behavioral intentions indicated that school nutrition employees had very high intention to use a thermometer for temperature control (M=6.9±0.37), had positive attitudes (M=6.9±0.37), placed emphasis on their subjective norms (M=6.8±0.45), and perceived a high amount of control (M=6.5±1.06) when using a thermometer.  Perceived behavioral controls and subjective norms significantly predicted behavioral intention (P≤0.001), however attitude did not (P=0.463).

Significance: Since significant beliefs have been identified, interventions should be developed and/or modified to increase thermometer use in schools and improve employees’ behaviors for temperature control to prevent foodborne illness.  By focusing on perceived social pressures to engage or not engage in the behavior and behavioral controls to perform the practice, research opportunities exist for training effectiveness.