Factors Affecting Food Handling Practices Among Food Handlers at Food Establishments in Mogadishu, Somalia: A...

Foodborne diseases pose serious health challenges in developing countries like Somalia, contributing to high rates of illness and death due to inadequate food safety practices, poor sanitation conditions, ineffective regulatory systems, and a lack of educational resources for food handlers. This study determined food handling practices and their associated factors among food handlers in Mogadishu, Somalia.

A cross-sectional study was conducted with 304 food handlers in Mogadishu, Somalia, and data were gathered through direct interviews. Analysis was performed using SPSS Version 26, including descriptive statistics and logistic regressions (binary and multivariate). Adjusted Odds Ratios (AOR) and a significance level of p < 0.05 were employed to assess significant variables related to food safety measures.

The results show that only 27.3% of food handlers practiced proper food handling procedures. This means that the majority of those observed exhibited poor food handling practices. Various factors significantly influenced these practices, including age (AOR = 0.1; 95% CI: 0.05-0.21), marital status (AOR = 0.1; 95% CI: 0.06-0.27), work experience (AOR = 0.2; 95% CI: 0.10-0.44), and monthly income (AOR = 3.1; 95% CI: 1.56-6.21).

The study revealed that over two-thirds of participants practiced poor food handling, posing public health risks. Key factors included age, marital status, work experience, and income. Authorities should improve health education, strengthen environmental health services, and train food handlers to enhance safety and health outcomes in Somalia.