Focus Group Studies on Food Safety Knowledge, Perceptions, and Practices of School-going Adolescent Girls in South India
Abstract
Objective
To understand food safety knowledge, perceptions, and practices of adolescent girls.
Design
Focus group discussions (FGDs) with 32 groups selected using stratified random sampling.
Setting
Four South Indian states.
Participants
Adolescent girls (10-19 years).
Phenomena of Interest
Food safety knowledge, perceptions, and practices.
Analyses
FGDs were audio recorded, transcribed, and manually coded by topic. At each stage of coding and analysis, reports were read independently by 3 researchers. Results were presented according to 4 food safety topics: concept of safe food; home-cooked food or outside food; packaged food products and food labels; and previous exposure to food safety education.
Results
Subjects confused the concept of nutrition with food safety. They were checking food labels, but they were not aware of quality symbols like ISI (Bureau of Indian Standards), FPO (Fruit Products Order), and AGMARK (Agriculture Marking and Grading Act); trusted more in brand names/expensive packaged food; were less careful about snack food safety. Receiving food safety information through school health education was preferred.
Conclusions and Implications
Adolescent girls are not aware of food quality standards. Awareness needs to be raised on permitted food additives concerning which foods can use them. Children should be familiarized with quality symbols on food labels.
1Extension and Training Division, National Institute of Nutrition (NIN), Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh (AP), India
2Food and Drug Toxicology Research Centre, NIN, Hyderabad, AP, India
3International Life Sciences Institute Europe, Brussels, Belgium
4Division of Field Studies, NIN, Hyderabad, AP, India
Address for correspondence: G. M. Subba Rao, Scientist C (Communication and Journalism), Extension and Training Division, National Institute of Nutrition, Indian Council of Medical Research, Jamai Osmania PO, Hyderabad 500007, AP. INDIA; Phone: +91-40-27197321
The study was funded by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India.
ABSTRACT