Research Proposal: Food Safety and Handling among Students of Jordan University

This research proposal aims to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of food safety and handling among students studying in Jordan University. It also aims to assess the influence of demographic characteristics on food safety and handling.

Running head: RESEARCH PROPOSAL
RESEARCH PROPOSAL: FOOD SAFETY AND HANDLING: KNOWLEDGE,
ATTITUDE AND PRACTICE AMONG STUDENTS OF JORDAN UNIVERSITY
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author note:

1RESEARCH PROTOCOL
Abstract
The consumption of food is essential for the nourishment of the human body, along with granting
of strength for the performance of daily life activities. Hence, it is of utmost importance that
prior to consumption, food is processed and handled hygienically for the prevention of food
borne illnesses. The following research aims to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes and practices
of food safety and handling among students studying in the University of Jordan, along with
assessing the presence of the influence of demographic characteristics. The lack of food safety
and hygiene knowledge among college students, their greater susceptibility to food borne
illnesses and availability of limited research pertaining to the same among students of Jordan are
what contribute to the importance of this research. Hence, the knowledge, attitudes and practices
of food safety and handling will be evaluated among Jordan University students with the help of
a questionnaire and responses analyzed statistically with the help of SPSS. Clarified perceptions
of student’s knowledge of food hygiene, paving the way for further research on implementation
of intervention strategies targeting enhancement of the same are what form the expected
outcomes of this proposed research.

2RESEARCH PROTOCOL
Table of Contents
Introduction..........................................................................................................................4
Research Issue.................................................................................................................4
Research Importance.......................................................................................................5
Research Aim and Objectives..........................................................................................8
Research Questions..........................................................................................................8
Research Hypothesis........................................................................................................9
Literature Review................................................................................................................9
Food borne illnesses Worldwide.....................................................................................9
Food borne illnesses in the Middle East........................................................................12
Food Safety and Handling Practices Worldwide...........................................................13
Food Safety and Handling Practices among consumers Worldwide.............................18
Food Safety and Handling Practices in the Middle East...............................................22
Food Safety and Handling Practices in Jordan..............................................................23
Food Safety and Handling Practices among consumers in the Middle East.................24
Need for Food Safety and Handling among young Adults............................................25
Food Safety and Handling Practices among students worldwide..................................26
Food Safety and Handling Practices among students in the Middle East.....................29
Food Safety and Handling Practices among consumers and students in Jordan...........30
Literature Gap................................................................................................................31

3RESEARCH PROTOCOL
Methodology......................................................................................................................32
Study Design..................................................................................................................32
Study Settings................................................................................................................32
Period of Study..............................................................................................................33
Study Population............................................................................................................33
Inclusion Criteria...........................................................................................................34
Exclusion Criteria..........................................................................................................34
Sample Size...................................................................................................................34
Sampling Method...........................................................................................................35
Data Collection Instruments..........................................................................................35
Data Entry......................................................................................................................36
Data Analysis.................................................................................................................36
Ethical Considerations...................................................................................................36
Research Limitations.....................................................................................................37
Proposed Time Frame (Gantt Chart: As designed by the Author)................................38
Expected Research Outcomes............................................................................................38
References..........................................................................................................................40

4RESEARCH PROTOCOL
Introduction
Research Issue
According to Green and Knechtges (2015), the practice of food safety implies the usage
and adherence to practices aimed at enhancing the level of confidence concerning the
susceptibility of occurrence of illness or harm associated with the food, during its preparation,
serving and consumption in accordance to its intended use. Despite the presence of considerable
knowledge concerning the requirement and practices associated with food safety and handling,
food borne illnesses continue to plaque to global population (Nik Hussain et al. 2016). In
accordance to global statistics presented by the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) and
the World Health Organization (WHO), 2.2 million deaths worldwide are caused by food borne
disorders, of which children contribute to 1.9 million deaths. It has also been documented that a
considerable portion of 40% of food borne illness are those which have occurred at households,
further reducing their likelihood of being reported (Hassan and Dimassi 2014). As researched by
Beavers, Murphy and Richards (2015), despite the conductance of safe food handling procedures
by food manufacturing organizations, disorders and illnesses pertaining to food poisoning and
unhygienic practices continue to plague the global community. The need of the hour is for food
safety and handling practices to infiltrate further to households and to the level of consumers.
Hence, in addition to food manufacturers, consumers must also actively adhere to practices and
habits outlining sound food safety.
As stated by the Health Ministry, of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in the year 2013, a
total of 1647 of illnesses pertaining to borne disorders occurred during the year 2010. The report
also observed the incidence of 255 incidences of food borne and food poisoning disorders among

5RESEARCH PROTOCOL
a population of 2066 citizens. In accordance to data by the European Food Safety Authority, in
the year 2011, a majority of incidences pertaining to food borne diseases, estimated to be 95%,
occur majorly at households, making them small scale and sporadic in nature (Al-Shabib, Husain
and Khan 2017). It can be implied that household practices of food safety and handling play an
essential role in the prevention of global incidences of food borne illnesses and thus, possession
of sound knowledge, attitudes and practices pertaining to food hygiene by consumers is
necessary for the successful implementation of public health policies and programs aiming to
implement the same (Faour-Klingbeil et al. 2016).
According to Farahat, El-Shafie and Waly (2015), the primary cause of illnesses which
are food borne are associated with mishandling or unhygienic practices during food storage and
cooking. Home scale food borne illnesses associated with the mishandling of food, occurs due to
the lack of appropriate knowledge pertaining to appropriate food safety and handling procedures.
There is a presence of discrepancy between the knowledge possessed between commercial food
handlers and consumers, concerning the quality practices of handling and food safety. The
presence of safe and hygiene food related behaviors is of utmost importance in households, due
to the comprising of multifunctional circumstances consisting of sensitive individuals such as
children, aged individuals and pregnant or nursing mothers (Wilcock and Ball 2017). Hence,
considering the increased household and consumer susceptibility of acquiring illnesses
associated with food born diseases, the need of the hour is to evaluate the existing knowledge
and attitudes of consumers regarding food safety and handling along with the justification behind
their conductance of certain food safety practices – which form the objectives of this research.

6RESEARCH PROTOCOL
Research Importance
Despite the increased importance associated with the dissemination of the information
considering the need for adherence to food safety and handling practices, there seems to be
limited research and evidence, considering the existing knowledge, attitude and practices of the
same, among college and university students, which poses to be an alarming situation requiring
immediate mitigation. An absence of appropriate knowledge of food safety and handling,
increases an individual’s susceptibility of acquiring food borne illness – hence, necessitating the
need to impart training and education regarding the same, preferably at educational institutions
where individuals are exposed to learning at an early age (Low et al. 2016). Policies and
programs aimed at imparting education on food safety and handling, must consider the college
and university students as consumers as well, hence necessitating an examination of the existing
knowledge and procedures implemented by this group (Moy et al. 2018). According to
Sivaramalingam et al. (2015), university and college students often possess high susceptibility to
the acquisition of food borne illnesses due to their concentration on consuming foods which are
easily and readily available, rather than focusing on safety and hygiene in preparation and
handling of the same. During the preparation of meals by themselves, students often fail to
adhere to safe and hygienic practices, simply due to their limited knowledge or due to time
constraints. Prolonged conductance of unhygienic and unsafe food handling and safety practices,
also enhances chances of transmission of food borne illnesses and associated infections to
sensitive individual groups by young adults, especially when they engage themselves in caring
for pregnant mothers, children or the elderly during their adulthood. Hence, assessing current
knowledge and attitudes concerning food safety and handling among university students is
essential prior to educating them concerning appropriate hygienic practices to be followed

7RESEARCH PROTOCOL
(Mullan et al. 2015). Hence, the importance of this research lies in evaluation of the existing
knowledge, attitudes and practices of university students concerning appropriate safety and
handling, considering the dearth of current evidence pertaining to the same, the increased
prevalence of unhygienic and risky practices and lack of information among such students and
their increased susceptibility of acquisition and transmission of food borne illnesses in the future.
There has been limited published evidence considering the food safety and handling
practices followed by university and college students, especially those which are situated in the
middle east. The research by Diplock et al. (2017), reported that almost 50% of college students
in Saudi Arabia are engaged in consumption of raw cheese and raw eggs and were unaware of
the dangers associated with the ingestion of cooked food the following day, which had been
stored at room temperature. College students residing in the United States reported to consume
inadequately cooked hamburger and chicken, unbaked cookie dough and fried eggs with soft,
uncooked yolks. A research in Turkey showed the lack of knowledge among almost of the youth,
concerning the importance of monitoring the internal temperature of meat during cooking, for
ensuring safe consumption. Similarly, only 13.5 % of students studying in universities of Spain,
have reported adherence to adequate hand hygiene practices prior to and during the preparation
of their meals.
There lies negligible research evaluating the knowledge, attitude and practices of food
safety and handling among consumers in Jordan and especially among students studying in
Jordan University. Hence, the increased susceptibility of adhering to unsafe food handling
practices, increased prevalence of lack of adequate food safety knowledge and attitudes,
increased susceptibility of acquisition and transmission of food borne illnesses and dearth of

8RESEARCH PROTOCOL
research assessing food safety and handling in Jordan University students comprise of the
underlying importance and rationale behind this proposed research.
Research Aim and Objectives
The aim of this research is to evaluate the existing knowledge, attitude and practices of
food safety and handling among students studying in Jordan University.
The objectives of the research are the following:
 To evaluate the existing knowledge and attitudes pertaining to food safety and handling
among students studying in Jordan University.
 To evaluate the existing practices of food safety and handling undertaken by students
studying in Jordan University.
 To identify the presence of associations between the demographic characteristics and the
existing knowledge, attitude and practice of food safety and handling among students
studying in Jordan University.
Research Questions
The outlines of the proposed research will aim at uncovering answers to the following
questions:
 What is the current level of knowledge and attitudes possessed by students studying in
Jordan University regarding adequate food safety and handling practices?
 What are the current practices followed by students studying in Jordan University
regarding the appropriate safety and handling of food?

9RESEARCH PROTOCOL
 What is the association between the demographic characteristics and the existing
knowledge, attitudes and practices of food safety and handling among students studying
in Jordan University?
Research Hypothesis
Students studying in Jordan University possess inadequate information pertaining to
appropriate knowledge, attitudes and practices of food safety and handling resulting in increased
susceptibility to food borne infections and requirement of imparting education concerning the
need and methods of adequate food hygiene.
Literature Review
Food borne illnesses Worldwide
As researched by Corteseet al.(2016), adherence to unclean and unhygienic practices, not
only leads to compromise of the nutritional value of the food, but also increases the susceptibility
of food borne illnesses. In a research, assessing the sanitary conditions of catering
establishments, Melekoet al. (2015), opined that food borne illnesses are a resultant of
contamination by pathogenic sources, as a result of inappropriate food safety and handling
practices by commercial food manufacturers and establishments such as lack of maintenance of
appropriate storage temperatures, inappropriate habits of personal hygiene by individuals
handling food and unclean surfaces which will come in contact with food.
Despite the implementation and execution of accredited standards of food safety and
handling, the occurrences of food borne illnesses continue to plague the global population on a
major scale. As researched by Hassan and Dimassi (2014), a report published by the World

10RESEARCH PROTOCOL
Health Organization in 2007 stated the occurrence of over 1.8 million deaths worldwide, due to
infections which are diarrheal in nature, with contaminated food and drinking water as a major
causative factor.
Authors Farahat, El-Shafie and Waly (2015), reviewed that in accordance to the Food and
Agricultural Organization and World Health Organization in the year 2005, over 2.2 million
deaths are attributed to food borne illnesses worldwide, of which, children comprise of 1.9
million of the victims. An additional joint report stated that almost 40% of illnesses which are
food borne in nature occur at home, and hence, have reduced possibilities of being reported.
Food borne illnesses are prevalent in a number of countries across the world. As
researched by Mullanet al. (2015), the National Health and Medical Research Council estimated
in the year 2003, that the trends directed towards occurrences of food borne illnesses in countries
like Australia, has increased alarmingly since the past decade. The New South Wales Food
Authority reported in the year 2009, reported an average annual occurrence of 120 deaths
pertaining to food borne illnesses in Australia, resulting in huge medical costs amounting to 1.25
billion.
In their research aimed at analysis of safe household food handling practices, authors
Teislet al. (2016) reviewed that in the United States, over 3000 deaths, 48 million illnesses and
128, 000 incidences of hospitalizations are caused due to pathogenic strains which are food
borne.
Food borne illnesses are also prevalent in developing countries worldwide. As researched
by Webb and Morancie (2015), low income countries prevalent in the developing regions of the
Caribbean and Latin America, the World Health Organization estimated in the year 2011,

11RESEARCH PROTOCOL
diarrheal infections attributed to consumption of contaminated water and food sources,
contributed to 33, 000 deaths, amounting to a mortality prevalence rate of 5.9 deaths per 100,
000 members of the population. Likewise, the Ministry of Health in Malaysia, as researched by
Woh et al. (2016), reported the maximum contribution of food borne illnesses among a group of
major illnesses affecting the Malaysian population, amounting to an incidence rate of 56.25 and
mortality rate of 0.3 among 100, 000 citizens.
Diseases and infections which are caused via growth and contamination by pathogenic
strains on food, are prevalent widely in households across across the world. Wilcock and Ball
(2014) extensively discussed the alarming prevalence of food borne illnesses from across the
globe in the book, ‘Practical Food Safety: Contemporary Issues and Future Directions. In
countries of the United Kingdome, such as Wales and England, it has been estimated that over
1.7 million incidences of food borne illness on a home scale, occur on an yearly basis.
Additionally, in countries such as the United States, the rates are further alarming with a reported
9.4 million cases of food disorders occurring domestically, with 31 pathogenic strains as a
causative factor. Wilcock and Ball (2014), also reported additional statistics in their book, stating
that the Public Health Agency of Canada stated an occurrence of 4 million incidences of food
borne infections every year, on a domestic scale, of which, gastrointestinal disorders with
unspecified agents as the causative factor, contribute to 2.4 million incidence, and a total of 30
pathogenic strains are responsible for causing 1.6 million of such incidences.
Hence, as observed from the above review of researches, the incidences of deaths across
the world, due to food borne illnesses, continue to plague the global community, despite the
implementation of commercially safe food safety and handling practices industrially. Further, as
observed by Hassan and Dimassi (2014), these statistics highlight the wide spread prevalence of

12RESEARCH PROTOCOL
food borne illnesses across developed countries worldwide, despite the presence of impressive
preventive intervention strategies pertaining to food safety and handling, such as the United
States’ ‘farm to table’ and Europe’s ‘farm to fork’ concepts. Another key feature which can be
observed in the above data, is the extensive prevalence of illness in households, highlighting the
essential role of consumers in the maintenance of safe food and handling practices resulting in
the prevention of harmful food borne illnesses.
According to a report published by the European Food Safety Authority in the year 2011,
a major portion of food borne illnesses, almost 95% are deemed to sporadic in nature due to their
occurrence at home. This indicates the lack of consumer knowledge concerning adherence to
appropriate food safety and handling practices, resulting in the growing need for implemented
educational frame works for the purpose of mitigation of this pressing problem, without which
existing international food safety policies and procedures would be deemed as ineffective.
Food borne illnesses in the Middle East
Considering the prevalence of food borne illnesses across countries of the Middle Eastern
region of the world, especially Jordan, the availability of scientific evidence is very limited. As
observed by Osaili, Al-Nabulsi and Krasneh (2018), in their research assessing the food safety
knowledge among foodservice staff at the universities of Jordan, the World Health
Organization’s report in the year 2015, observed an increased susceptibility of food borne
illnesses in developing countries, especially the Middle East, to national shortcomings in
accessibility of policies and programs associated with the control and surveillance of food borne
illnesses. Countries in the Eastern Mediterranean region, that is, Northern Africa and the Middle
East, has been reported as possessing the third highest burden of disease occurrences pertaining
to food borne illnesses.

13RESEARCH PROTOCOL
As researched by authors Al-Shabib, Husain and Khan (2017), the Health Ministry of the
kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the year 2003, reported an occurrence of 1647 incidences pertaining
to food borne illnesses, during 2010. An additional report by the health ministry in the year 2011,
it was reported that out of incidences of illnesses across 2066 citizens, food borne illnesses were
estimated to be the causative factor behind 255 of them.
Food Safety and Handling Practices Worldwide
A cross sectional study performed by Corteseet al.(2015), aimed to assess the level of
safety and compliance to international standards, by vendors of street foods, during the mass
production of popular street foods, Florianopolis, Brazil, for the purpose of elaborating the
requirement of legislative frameworks which would food safety. The authors critically evaluated
the hygienic practices and demographic characteristics of street vendors during selling of street
foods, at critical points of production. The authors performed the above through usage of
methods such as structured interviews and direct interviews. A total of forty three vendors
participated in the research, of which, most were male and had undergone educational levels only
till elementary school. The authors observed that 33% of the participants had never undergone a
course on food handling, 95% did not engage in hand washing during duties of food distribution
and money collection 12% did not adhere to required cold storage practices during food
transportation, only water was used by 24% for the purpose of cleaning hands, 91% avoided the
use of coverings on their hair and alarmingly, all the vendors did not possess accessibility to
clean and potable supply of water. Hence, this research not only revealed a lack of knowledge of
adequate food safety and handling among commercial food handlers, but also necessitates
governmental interventions in the form of stringent food handling policies and programs which

14RESEARCH PROTOCOL
will enhance the safety of consumers and result in the prevention of food borne illnesses in the
future.
Authors Afolaranmiet al. (2015), performed a cross sectional, descriptive study aiming to
assess the level of food safety and hygiene knowledge and practice among food vendors in
primary schools in a state of North Central Nigeria. The results obtained by the authors reported
that 60.9%, that is, 166 participants possessed adequate knowledge of foods safety and hygiene.
However, it is to be noted that the participating vendors possesses a mean year of work
experience as 7.8 ± 1.3 years. Hence, a statistically significant relationships was uncovered
between adherence to adequate food safety and handling practices and the years of work
experience in the vendors (p = 0.001). Hence, this study revealed that enhance work experience
is a key demographic characteristic playing a major role in the conductance of adequate food
safety and hygiene practices among commercial food handlers.
Woh et al. (2016), performed an additional cross sectional study, with the aim to evaluate
among migrant food handlers in Malaysia, the basic level of knowledge and practices pertaining
to food safety and handling. The research was conducted among a total of 383 food handlers
with the help of a questionnaire, along with obtaining information on their socio-demographic
characteristics. The results obtained by the authors reported an overall low level of knowledge
pertaining to adequate food safety and hygiene practices. Further factors which contributed to the
level of food safety and knowledge among vendors included their level of education, their
country of origin and their attendance in programs associated with food training. Of these, the
third factor was found to contribute a major portion to the vendors’ knowledge of food safety and
handling, hence resulting in the authors to conclude that apart from increased implementation of
food safety and handling modules, there must also be stringent rules pertaining to maintenance of

15RESEARCH PROTOCOL
adequate levels of attendance in such training programs for the purpose of enhancing poor levels
of food handling knowledge among food handlers resulting in safe and hygienic food production
and consumption.
Another study in Malaysia was performed by Lee et al. (2015), which aimed to assess the
self reported to knowledge, attitude and practices in food handlers, pertaining to microbiological
hand hygiene, with the help of a KAP questionnaire among 85 participants in a university
situated in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The authors also evaluated microbial count from the hands
of the handlers, through collection of hand swabs. The results reflected that the participating food
handlers possessed moderately positive levels of self reported practices (53.2/60), attitudes
(51.9/60) and knowledge (61.7%) pertaining to food safety and handling. However, despite the
positive scores, the authors observed ≥20 CFU/cm2 of aerobic microbe counts from the hands of
almost 65% of the handlers, whereas 48% of the hand swabs revealed prevalence of colonies of
Salmonella. Hence, from this research, it could be implicated that mere possession of good
knowledge and practices pertaining to food safety and handling is inadequate and the need of the
hour is to translate the same into practical applications for ensuring safe food processing,
handling and consumption.
Authors Ababio and Lovatt (2015) reviewed a number of studies pertaining to the food
safety and food hygiene practices conducted in the nation of Ghana. The authors reported that the
capital of the nation was the main center for conductance of studies pertaining to food research
and the majority of focus of food related studies was on the microbiological safety of foods and
commercial food operations for the purpose of street food product. There seemed to be limited
research pertaining to the hazards associated with food production conducted in the commercial
institutions for catering services. The incidences of food borne illnesses were reported majorly

16RESEARCH PROTOCOL
by media sources and were highly prevalent in households, restaurants, commercial food joints
and street food vendors. The authors also identified limitations in the administrations of safety
measures in food production establishments. Hence, the authors reported that the need of the
hour is the implementation of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Procedures, principles of
general hygiene, governmental screening of the health of food handlers and the administration of
training programs and workshops pertaining to food safety and handling for the purpose of safe
and hygienic food production and the resultant reduction of incidences pertaining to food borne
illnesses in the commercial food establishments.
Similarly, Akabanda, Hlortsi and Owusu-Kwarteng (2017), conducted a cross sectional,
descriptive study, for the purpose of assessing the knowledge, attitudes and practices pertaining
to food safety and handling, among institutional food handlers in Ghana. A total of 235
participants were examined with the help of a questionnaire and personal interview. The
questionnaire aimed to obtained information on five segments, namely, food hygiene practices,
job satisfaction among the workers, food safety knowledge, demographic characteristics and
attitudes pertaining to food safety. The results reported by the authors reflected significant levels
of awareness among food handlers on basic practices of hygiene and sanitation such as washing
of hands (98.7%), usage of detergents (72.8%), adequate cleaning of equipment (86.4%)
andusage of gloves (77.9%). However, it was observed that 70.6 % and 76.2 % of the
participating handlers were unaware of the fact that Hepatitis A and Salmonella were pathogenic
strains which were food borne in nature. However, 87.7% and 81.7 % of the participants
reflected awareness of the association between mishandled food and occurrences of bloody
diarrhea and typhoid. Hence, this study revealed that despite the prevalence of adequate

17RESEARCH PROTOCOL
knowledge and attitudes pertaining to food safety and handling, practical implementation of the
same into practice is still lacking.
The levels of knowledge, attitudes and practices associated with food safety and hygiene
were assessed by Samapundoet al. (2016) among consumers as well as vendors of street foods
in Vietnam. The authors reported significant levels of knowledge and attitudes pertaining to food
safety and knowledge among consumers. However, poor practices of food handling were
observed among the street food vendors, where the authors reported that 52.5 % of the vending
stalls had limited access to clean, potable water, 52.5% of the engaged in selling food in the open
without any protection from wind, sun or dust particles, 30% did not have access to adequate
disposal of food and water wastage, 47.5% possessed limited accessibility to services pertaining
to hand washing and 52.5 % of the vendors avoided segregation of foods in terms of raw, coked
and semi cooked. Hence, the findings of this study, indicated a lack of adherence to adequate
food safety and handling practices among the street vendors of Vietnam, hence necessitating the
need for stricter governmental interventions and legislations, pertaining to the operation of
commercial food establishments which will be safe and hygienic.
The prevalence of food safety in low and middle incomes countries was reviewed by
Grace (2015). The author reported the presence of limited research pertaining to the prevalence
of food safety and handling in low and middle income countries but also observed that a majority
of incidences pertaining to food borne diseases were associated with consumption of unhygienic
perishable and fresh foods available at commercially informal markets. Upon conductance of an
extensive review, the author also predicted an increase in the prevalence of food borne illnesses
in low and middle income countries, due to reported increases in the consumption of foods at
risk of microbial contamination such as fish and livestock related foods. Despite the

18RESEARCH PROTOCOL
advancements in agricultural practices pertaining to food production, there still lies a lack of
adequate implementation of food safety practices in the sectors of agriculture and food retail.
There is a lack of evidence pertaining to implementation of effective intervention strategies
pertaining to the improvement of food safety and hygiene in commercial and domestic food
establishments. In accordance to the author, food safety can be enhanced through the
implementation of public awareness policies, incorporation of training programs on participants
in the value chain of the food production and processing sector and implementation of novel
technologies monitoring levels of food safety and hygiene in foods which are produced.
Food Safety and Handling Practices among consumers Worldwide
As mentioned previously, a majority of food borne illnesses are found to occur on a
domestic scale, due to lack of adequate information and awareness, pertaining to food safety and
knowledge among consumers. The prevalence of effective governmental and international
policies and frameworks associated effective maintenance of food safety and handling will be
deemed inefficient, if consumers display a significant lack of adherence to adequate food
hygiene practices. A systematic review performed Young and Waddell (2016), aimed to identify
and assess the facilitators and barriers influencing the safe handling of food by consumers with
the help of a thematic synthesis of qualitative studies. The authors reported the emergence of the
following major themes: the performances of safe food handling procedures among consumers
are a resultant of a complex interplay of habituation and practices; a majority of consumers lack
concern on adherence to food safety and lack motivation to alter their behaviors pertaining to
new information on the prevention of risks associated with food safety; with the implementation
of adequate pressures on a social scale, consumers are subject to alteration of their existing habits
on the maintenance of food safety. Hence, considering the emerging rise of food borne illnesses,

19RESEARCH PROTOCOL
and the prevalent lack of consumer adherence to adequate food safety and handling practices, the
need of the hour is for the stringent implementation of food safety policies and practices,
targeting not just commercial food handlers but also the existing knowledge of consumers.
One of the key challenges to be overcome by governmental interventions aiming to
inculcate stringent legislations on ensuring the adherence to maintenance of adequate food safety
and hygiene practices, is the lack of knowledge pertaining to the same among consumers.
Existing perceptions of food safety and handling practices among consumers is of utmost
importance since in absence of the same, governmental or international interventions would be
deemed as ineffective. A cross sectional study conducted by Asiegbu, Lebelo and Tabit (2016),
aimed to assess the knowledge of consumers of popular street foods concerning the associated
microbial safety in a municipality of Johannesburg, South Africa. Participants, a total of 402
consumers who were engaged in the purchasing and ingestion of street food, with the aid of a
personal interview. The authors reported that factors such as palatability, increased accessibility
and cost effectiveness play key roles in influencing consumers to opt for street foods. The
authors also reported that, despite acceptance from a majority of consumers on pathogenic food
borne strains being a causative factor life threatening disease, they lacked awareness of harmful
pathogens such as Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp, Listeria monocytogenes and Campylobacter
jejuni. It was also revealed that despite consumers possessing considerable awareness concerning
the harms associated with unhygienic street food, they were still motivate to buy and consume
them. Demographic characteristics such as educational level, gender, monthly income and race
played salient roles in influencing a consumer’s perception on safety and purchasing desire
associated with street food. Hence, the need of the hour is to focus stringently on consumer’s

20RESEARCH PROTOCOL
lack of knowledge concerning unhygienic and mishandled food for the purpose of preventing
food borne illnesses and maintenance of adequate food safety and handling practices.
A national survey of domestic food handlers in the households of China was conducted
by Gong et al. (2016), with the help if a questionnaire consisting of 7 questions assessing
demographic characteristics and 26 questions assessing knowledge associated with basic food
safety and handling concepts. The authors reported that the participants scored poorly and
demonstrated poor levels of knowledge. Of these, the authors observed that two groups posed the
highest risk of undertaking unsafe food handling practices due to their poor level of knowledge.
These were female rural food handlers with an annual income of less than 30, 000 CNY and
male food handlers earning an annual income of 30, 000 CNY. Hence, the authors implied from
these results that, the need of the hour, is for the government of China, to not only implement
consumer training and educational programs pertaining to food safety, but also add key emphasis
on these high risks groups of domestic food handlers.
Another study conducted by Naeemet al.(2018), aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes
and practices pertaining to food safety among women belonging to 1000 households in over 10
towns of Lahore, Pakistan. The authors reported statistically significant differences in level of
education with knowledge, attitudes and practices pertaining to food safety. The authors also
stated the need for further research which would assess the risks in health overcome by
household women, considering the notion that their role of food preparation at home is essential
in the prevention of transmission of food borne illnesses domestically. Hence, the need of the
hour is to implement food safety intervention practices at the household level where education
imparted to such women would serve essential in the prevention of food borne illness. However,
prior to the implementation of such training and educational policies and programs, the

21RESEARCH PROTOCOL
evaluation of the existing perceptions of knowledge on food safety among household women is
of utmost importance.
A cross sectional study was conducted by Abuga, NyamariandNjagi (2017), with the
objective of evaluating the consumer practices undertaken for food safety and hygiene, in
Nairobi County and Langata Sub-County, Kenya. Socio-demographic characteristics and food
safety and handling practices were assessed out of a total 385 participants with the help of a
questionnaire delivered via an interview. The authors reported that employment status and
accessibility of water as key determinants of adequacy of food safety and handling practices
followed by consumers. The findings further reflected that 79.5 % of the consumers possessed
positive attitudes towards the adherence to maintaining adequate food safety and handling
practices, while 64% of the household consumers possessed adequate knowledge pertaining to
the same. Hence, the authors concluded that adequate educational and training concerning food
safety and handling practices must be infiltrated to the domestic level of the consumers.
An international survey was conducted by Odeyemiet al. (2018), for the purpose of
assessing the knowledge, attitudes and practices pertaining to food safety among consumers
residing in developing countries. The authors collected data from across 453 participants of
which 188 were Asian and 265 were African. The authors reported than in Africa, Cameroon
possessed the lowest levels of knowledge on food safety followed by Ghana and Nigeria. In
Asia, the authors reported that Iran possessed low knowledge compared to the countries of
Malaysia and Pakistan. Of the participants who were evaluated, 67.1% of the group engaged in
consumption of food stored at room temperature for prolonged periods, while 89% demonstrated
awareness on the occurrences of food poisoning. Despite Asia displaying greater positive
outcomes of food safety knowledge in comparison to Africa, the poor levels demonstrated by

22RESEARCH PROTOCOL
Middle Eastern countries like Iran are a source of major concern for the future food safety and
prevention of food borne illnesses in the Middle Eastern population.
Food Safety and Handling Practices in the Middle East
A survey was conducted by Faour-Klingbeil, Kuri and Todd (2015), for the purpose of
evaluating the knowledge, attitudes and practices of food handlers involved in food business
management in Beirut, Lebanon. The authors reported the presence of lack of adequate
knowledge pertaining to food safety along significant limitations associated with methods
aimed at management of cross contamination of food and maintenance of critical temperatures
of processing and storage, which may pose increased susceptibility for food consumers. The
authors also reported that food establishments which are managed by corporate organizations
utilize better quality food safety and handling practices as compared informal establishments.
Hence, considering the presence of the associations between adherence to food safety and
handling practices and type of organizational management, the authors implicated the need for
collaborations between both public and private sectors in the administrations of intervention
strategies, educational policies and implementation of technological aid in the maintenance of
adequate food hygiene.
Another cross sectional study was conducted by Meleko et al. (2015), for the purpose of
assessing the levels of sanitation maintained along with the levels of knowledge, attitudes and
practices pertaining to food safety and handling among food handlers employed in the Cafeteria
in a university at Addis Ababa, with the aid of adequate checklists and questionnaires, followed
by the bacteriological status of the catering environment in comparison to standardized operating
procedures. Out of a total of 302 participants, the authors reported that adequate levels of literacy
among all the food handlers, and presence of adequate training experience among 65.2 %. The

23RESEARCH PROTOCOL
authors also observed that 12 university catering establishments possessed good lighting,
hygienic walls and adequate ventilation facilities in the kitchen and dining environments with no
presence of Escherichia coli. However, it was uncovered that 52.3% of the food handlers
possessed limited knowledge of adequate practices to be conducted for maintenance of food
safety and hygiene. Hence, the authors implicated that, despite the presence of hygienic
environments, the food handlers employed at various university cafeterias did not implement
their knowledge into required practice, necessitating further training and sanitation policies in the
future.
Food Safety and Handling Practices in Jordan
A cross sectional study was conducted by Osaili et al. (2017), for the purpose of
assessing levels of knowledge of food safety among staff employed in the food service
department of hospitals in Jordan. The study consisted of a total of 532 subjects comprising of
dieticians, cooks and food workers among 37 hospitals. The authors reported that an overall food
safety knowledge score of 56.3 out of 90, along with awareness of food safety concepts among
participants such as reheating and holding temperatures of foods, storage safety, cooking,
thawing, maintenance of personal hygiene and possible health consequences due to lack of
maintenance of adequate food safety concepts. However, lower levels of food safety knowledge
was observed among participants who perceived that adherence to Hazard Analysis and Critical
Control Points were unnecessary. Such perceptions were greatly prevalent in hospital worker
possessing less than 48 months of work experience, managed by public sectors as compared by
private sector hospitals in Jordan. Hence, the authors implied the need for customized training
and educational food safety and handling programs among the workers employed in the hospitals
of Jordan.

24RESEARCH PROTOCOL
Another study conducted by Osaili, Al-Nabulsi and Krasneh (2018), aimed to assess the
levels of knowledge possessed by staff working in the food service departments of universities in
Jordan, with the help of a questionnaire. The authors reported that participants presented low
levels of food safety knowledge with an average value of 67.1%. Concepts of food safety which
scored high values were maintenance of hygiene (74.9%), sanitation practices aiming and
prevention of cross contamination (71.9%), diseases related to food borne pathogens (74.3 %),
while the food safety concept of storage safety, thawing, reheating and cooking of foods scored
the lowest at 53.5%. The authors also reported a lack of sufficient knowledge of workers on the
concepts of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points. Hence, along with administration of
food service training and handling interventions, the authors also necessitate the need for
enhancing the levels of awareness among workers, concerning the concepts of HACCP.
Food Safety and Handling Practices among consumers in the Middle East
A cross sectional study was conducted by Farahat, El-Shafie and Waly (2015), to assess
the level of knowledge and practices of food safety performed by women in households of Saudi
Arabia. The authors reported that except from cooking, the participants exhibited significantly
positively knowledge in practice parameter pertaining to food safety. It was also revealed that the
women scored highest in knowledge and practices pertaining to personal hygiene 63.4 and
73.8%) and scored the lowest in the knowledge and practices pertaining to usage and cleaning of
equipment and utensils (49.8%) and cooking (60.2%). Participants who were employed or aged
60 years and above scored comparatively higher scores in terms of food safety and handling
knowledge and practices. Hence, the authors implicated that the need of the hour is the
administration of food safety awareness and handling interventions at domestic levels especially
the women.

25RESEARCH PROTOCOL
Another cross sectional study was performed by Hassan, Dimassi and Karam (2018),
with the aim to assess self reported knowledge and practices on food safety and handling by
domestic food handlers in the households of Lebanon, with the aid of a questionnaire assessing
demographic profiles and food hygiene associated perceptions. The authors reported that the
subjects scored 55.6% on food handling, 51.3% on storage, 67.4% on employment of kitchen
equipment 89.1% on practices and knowledge pertaining to habits of personal hygiene. The
demographic characteristics which contributed to individual perceptions on food safety and
handling were education, age, sex, marital status and income from employment.
Need for Food Safety and Handling among young Adults
According to Sivaramalingam et al. (2015), college students must also be considered as
consumers despite their young age, for the community wide prevention of food borne illnesses
and maintenance of overall positive health outcomes. Further, for the purpose of assessing the
existing level of knowledge and practices of food safety and handling among college students,
further research must be conducted for the examination of their perceptions on food hygiene.
Considering the prevalence academic work load, college students are often compelled to
prioritize foods which are less time consuming, accessible and hassle free instead of
concentrating on adherence to safe food handling. College students often lack information
pertaining to safe food processing methods and hence, are highly susceptible to acquisition of
food borne illnesses.
Also, as researched by Hassan and Dimassi (2014), individuals within the age group of
18 to 29 years are highly susceptible to performing unhealthy food preparation and consumption
behaviors. Lack of imparting training and education on the same, can lead to further performance
of such behaviors in the future resulting in food borne illnesses, especially when these young

26RESEARCH PROTOCOL
adults grow up to take care of sensitive individuals such as children, aged individuals and
pregnant or nursing mothers.
Food Safety and Handling Practices among students worldwide
A number of studies have been performed internationally, as compared to the limited
evidence found in the middle east, for the purpose of assessing the food safety knowledge and
handling practices of students.
A study conducted by Luo et al. (2019), investigated food safety and knowledge practices
among Chinese college students of nursing, medical and education. The authors reported that
education students presented the highest and medical students the lowest scores of on food safety
attitudes, while on food safety practices education students scored the highest and nursing
students the lowest respectively. Medical students scored the highest and nursing students the
lowest on parameters of food safety knowledge. Over 70% of the participants displayed concern
over the presence of pollutants in their food while 30% admitted to requesting food
establishments in improving their hygiene practices. Another cross sectional study in China was
performed by Cheng et al. (2017), for the purpose of assessing food safety perceptions and
knowledge among students studying in high schools of Beijing. The study reported that while,
95.3% of students were concerned with the dangers associated with the consumption of hygienic
street foods, 69.4%, still continue their purchases of street foods from peddlers. Factors which
influenced students knowledge of food safety and handling included, habits of alcohol
consumption and smoking, performance in academics, regional characteristics, type of school
and residence and level of education of parents.

27RESEARCH PROTOCOL
A number of studies have been conducted in Canada, pertaining to the food safety and
handling knowledge and practices possessed by students. An online survey was conducted by
Courtney, Majowicz and Dublin (2016) for the evaluation of food safety knowledge and
practices among undergraduate Canadian university students. The authors reported that high
level was food safety and handling knowledge was persistent in students studying in senior year,
possessing current or existing experience of food handling, performing cooking by themselves,
engaged in institution such as eateries or hospitals and studying in departments of Science.
Similarly, Majowicz et al. (2017), performed a longitudinal survey among high school students’
food handling and safety knowledge in Ontario, following administration of a training program
on handling of food. It was observed that upon training program participation, there was
improvement in students’ food handling concepts of maintenance of critical temperatures of
cooking and storing, adherence to procedures of disinfection and avoidance of cross
contamination of foods. Another study in Canada was performed by Burke, Young and
Papadopoulos (2016) which discovered that Canadians in the age group of 19 to 29 years
possessed low levels of food safety knowledge and were ignorant on preventive food handling
practices resulting in increased susceptibility to food borne illnesses.
The existing knowledge on food safety among Maine students, was assessed by Ferk,
Calder and Camire (2016) with the aid of a Food Safety Knowledge Questionnaire which
revealed that 60% of the students provided correct response while more than 50% were unable
to identify foods or handling practices which posed a high risk for illness. Similarly, a survey
conducted by Wong et al. (2014), assessed the knowledge of food safety among 475 students
schools and universities across the United Kingdom and Australia resulting in findings indicating
a poor score of 38% among school students and 54% in university students. Increased food

28RESEARCH PROTOCOL
safety knowledge was observed among females, senior students, Australian students and students
who lived away from their homes.
Similarly studies were conducted in Malaysia, as observed in the cross sectional research
conducted by Low et al. (2015), which observed through a questionnaire that students hailing
from science oriented academic backgrounds, studying in undergraduate or senior years and
whose father’s possessed high educational levels, possessed increased knowledge of food safety
and hygiene practices. Similarly, a cross sectional study performed by Moy et al. (2018), aimed
to identify determining factors of food safety and handling among youngsters residing in Kuala
Lumpur, Malaysia and found that only 40% of the participant population displayed adequate
food hygiene knowledge and almost 15.7% of youngsters monitored the hygiene of the
surrounding of frequently visited cafeterias.
Another study which was conducted by Lazou et al. (2012), aimed to examine the self
reported knowledge, attitudes and practices pertaining to food safety, among Greek students
studying in a university. The authors conducted the survey with the aid of a questionnaire
consisting of 16 questions each assessing handling and knowledge pertaining to food safety,
further sub divided into 4 sections of food preparation, food microbiology, food storage and
hygiene. The authors reported that the students correctly answered only 37% and 38% of the
questions associated with food safety knowledge and food safety handling respectively. While
students admitted to being aware of the importance of freezing, performing practices of hygiene
such as prevention of cross contamination and washing of hands, a limited number of them were
ignorant of the importance associated with maintenance of critical temperatures during cooking
as well the various mechanism of contamination of pathogens carrying food borne diseases. The

29RESEARCH PROTOCOL
authors however, observed that female students, students who were involved into academic fields
dealing with food safety and healthcare, contributed to greater number of correct responses.
Similarly, Sanlier and Konaklioglu (2012) aimed to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes and
practices associated with food safety and handling among a total of 1340 students of Turkey
distributed across various universities, with the aid of a questionnaire administered face-to-face.
The authors reported the findings as per the genders of the students and discovered the presence
of statistically significant differences among students who were male and female (p < 0.001) in
scores of overall assessment of knowledge, attitudes and practices of food safety. Statistically
significant differences were also reported among various universities (p < 0.001). Additionally,
the authors reported the presence of a correlation between student’s attitudes and practices
pertaining to food safety and handling.
Food Safety and Handling Practices among students in the Middle East
A study conducted by Al-Shabib, Hussain and Khan (2017) aimed to assess the concerns
of, knowledge and practices of food safety among students studying in a university of Saudi
Arabia. The authors used a self administered questionnaire for the purpose of collecting
knowledge on food safety along with information pertaining to the academic and socio-
demographic characteristics of a total group of 808 students. The major factors of food safety
and consumption which were of concern for students were appearance of food handlers, hygiene
in areas serving food, taste and temperature of food, doneness of the prepared food and its
presentation. The students exhibited impressive knowledge on food safety aspects such as cross
contamination, maintenance of hygiene, cleanliness of cooking area whereas limited student
knowledge was displayed concerning control of critical cooking temperatures.

30RESEARCH PROTOCOL
Another study assessing the knowledge of food safety and handling was conducted by
Hassan and Dimassi (2014), on university students in Lebanon. The authors assessed the students
level of existing knowledge, attitudes and practices pertaining to food safety and handling along
with their possible examination of associations with their academic and demographic
characteristics. The average scores of food safety knowledge and practices were 53.6% and
44.7% respectively, out of which, students who were female or studying in senior academic
years scored the highest values. Additional impressive scores in terms of food safety and
handling were also recorded in students who lived with their parents and who engaged in
frequent cooking. Hence, this studied implicated the need for existing educational policies to
target the poor levels of food safety and handing knowledge and practices among university
students.
A cross sectional study was performed by Dehgan et al. (2017), assessed the food safety
and health knowledge and attitudes among Iranian students studying in Tabriz University of
Medical Sciences, with the help of a valid and reliable questionnaire. The authors reported
conflicting results which implicated the need for educational institutes to incorporate training
products or educational courses pertaining to food safety in the academic curriculum. The
findings reported that a greater than 50% of the students adhered to adequate hand washing
practices and possessed high knowledge of health and food safety. However, 60% and 50% of
students displayed low knowledge such as ignorance pertaining to the use of food additives or
adherences to critical temperatures during cooking. However, the authors observed that almost
87.3% of the students possessed commendable knowledge on the transmission of food borne
diseases.

31RESEARCH PROTOCOL
Food Safety and Handling Practices among consumers and students in Jordan
A study was conducted by Alrabadi, Massad and Alboqai (2013), to investigate the self
reported knowledge, attitudes and practices pertaining to food safety and handling among 300
consumers selected randomly in Jordan, with the help of a questionnaire containing a five point
Likert scale. The study displayed findings highlighting consumers adherence to certain adequate
food safety and handling practices and lack of adherence towards some. Jordanian consumers
majorly note the date of expiry, hygiene levels of the surrounding retail environment, the
calorific value and packaging details prior to purchasing food products. Very few consumers
admitted to assessing the nutritional value, the presence of additive, packaging material,
thawing or cooking temperatures and ingredients present in the food. While basic hygiene, raw
food handling and food storage practices were followed, very few consumers reported the usage
of food grade thermometers while almost every consumer were unaware of the prevalence of
food borne pathogens.
Another study performed by Osaili et al. (2011), to evaluate the food safety and handling
practices among female students residing in dormitories in the north of Jordan, with the aid of a
self administered questionnaire as well as an assessment of the association between socio-
demographic characteristics of the students and their adherence to food hygiene standards. The
authors observed that students possessed the least knowledge on safe cooking practices and
transmission of food borne disease and possessed the highest knowledge on disinfection and
prevention of cross contamination. Students studying in senior years, in healthcare associated
academic fields and adhere to self cooking practices, were reported to yield the highest scores in
food safety and handling practices. Hence, the results implicated the lack of sufficient knowledge
of food safety and handling practices among Jordanian students, hence necessitating the need for

32RESEARCH PROTOCOL
educational institutions to incorporate additional educational courses on food hygiene in the
existing curriculum.
Literature Gap
From the above literature review, it was evident that few studies have been conducted
concerning the food safety knowledge and hygiene practices followed by university students of
Jordan and the demographic determinants of the same. The previous research as reviewed above,
researched only among female students. Hence, considering this limitation in literature, the
following research aims to further add on to the already existing literature by evaluating the
existing knowledge, attitude and practices of food safety and handling among students studying
in University of Jordan along with their associations with demographic characteristics. The
University of Jordan is home to students distributed across various academic years and fields of
study. Hence, the proposed research will focus on assessment of the food safety knowledge and
handling among university students with a broader subject profile, by including both male and
female students, across various academic years and across a wide variety of academic faculty
departments.
Methodology
Study Design
The following proposed research will be based on an observational study design,
involving evaluation of variables such as knowledge, attitude and practices of food safety and
handling, along with the identification of associations of the above with the demographic
characteristics of the study, such as age of the students, field of academics, year of academics,
status of residence, habits related to cooking food and employment status of their respective

33RESEARCH PROTOCOL
mothers. For the evaluation of the existing level of knowledge, attitudes and practices of food
safety and handling of the student, a valid, reliable questionnaire present in the peer reviewed
research conducted by Hassan and Dimassi (2014) was employed.
Study Settings
As per adherence to the proposed research aim, objectives and questions, the study
setting of the research will include the University of Jordan, which is one of the most prestigious,
oldest and largest centers of advanced education in Jordan. The questionnaires will be distributed
in the classrooms of the respective students, where they will be asked to complete the same after
the lecture ends. The study setting of this research will involve students from various subjects,
classified broadly as Healthcare (Faculties of Dentistry, Medicine, Nursing, Science, Pharmacy,
Agriculture and Rehabilitation Sciences), Engineering (Faculties of Engineering and Technology
and Information Technology), Arts (Faculties of Humanities and Social Sciences, Islamic
Studies, Physical Education, Law, Educational Sciences, Foreign Languages, Arts, Graduate
Studies and Design) and Social Sciences (and Economics (Faculty of Business).
Period of Study
The period of study will range between the months of February 2019 and May 2019.
Study Population
The population of this study will comprise of students studying in the University of
Jordan, distributed equally across four broad classifications of the academic fields of Healthcare,
Engineering, Economics and Arts and Social Sciences. The students will be randomly assigned
from various faculties of Healthcare (Faculties of Dentistry, Medicine, Nursing, Science,
Pharmacy, Agriculture and Rehabilitation Sciences), Engineering (Faculties of Engineering and

34RESEARCH PROTOCOL
Technology and Information Technology), Arts (Faculties of Humanities and Social Sciences,
Islamic Studies, Physical Education, Law, Educational Sciences, Foreign Languages, Arts,
Graduate Studies and Design) and Social Sciences (and Economics (Faculty of Business) and
various years of academics (Junior, Sophomore and Senior).
Inclusion Criteria
Students studying in the University of Jordan, in the study fields of Healthcare,
Engineering, Economics and Arts and Social Sciences, and in any academic year of junior,
sophomore and senior will be included in the study.
Exclusion Criteria
Students who are not belonging to the University of Jordan will be excluded from the
study. Additionally, teaching as well as non-teaching staff (other than students), who are
belonging to University of Jordan will be excluded. Upon completion of the research, responses
of the chosen students in the form of incomplete answers in the questionnaires will be excluded
from the study.
Sample Size
The sample size for the proposed research will include students, studying currently in the
University of Jordan, and will be decided using the formula Z2*(p)*(1-p)/c2, where Z is equal to
the Z value, p is equal to percentage picking a choice and expressed in decimal form and c will
be the confidence interval, which will also be expressed in decimals (de Beker-Grob et al. 2015).
The students will be selected from all the faculties of the University of Jordan, which will be
classified broadly in the form of Healthcare (Faculties of Dentistry, Medicine, Nursing, Science,
Pharmacy, Agriculture and Rehabilitation Sciences), Engineering (Faculties of Engineering and

35RESEARCH PROTOCOL
Technology and Information Technology), Arts (Faculties of Humanities and Social Sciences,
Islamic Studies, Physical Education, Law, Educational Sciences, Foreign Languages, Arts,
Graduate Studies and Design) and Social Sciences (and Economics (Faculty of Business) and
various years of academics (Junior, Sophomore and Senior). Hence, out of the calculated sample
size of students, an equal number of students each will be selected from these four broad
academic classifications. The sample size will also comprise of students from various years of
academic, classified broadly into three categories of junior, sophomore and senior. Hence, out of
the total number of students selected and equal number of students will be selected from junior,
sophomore and senior academic years for the purpose of conducting the research.
Sampling Method
The sampling method which will be employed for this research is a stratified random
sampling method, which is characterized by the division of population into groups based on
certain characteristics (Padilla et al. 2015). Hence, for the proposed research, the required
student subject population from the University of Jordan, will be randomly selected as the
sample of this research, to be divided equally into four sample stratified groups of academic
subjects such as Healthcare, Engineering, Economics and Arts and Humanities. Students will
also be randomly selected from the various academic years of junior, sophomore and senior.
Data Collection Instruments
The primary data collection instrument which will be utilized in this research is the
knowledge, analysis and practice questionnaire used by Hassan and Dimassi (2014) in their
research which aimed to assess the food safety and handling practices self reported by Lebanese
university students. The questionnaire was composed of four sections, namely: an introductory
section, a section outlining demographic characteristics, questions pertaining to food handling

36RESEARCH PROTOCOL
practices and questions assessing knowledge of food safety. The demographic characteristics
which were assessed by the questionnaire included: age of the students, field of academics, year
of academics, status of residence, habits related to cooking food and employment status of their
respective mothers. The section assessing food safety knowledge consisted of 14 questions while
the section assessing practices pertaining to food handling consisted of 16 questions. Multiple
choice questions were majorly involved in the chosen questionnaire.
Data Entry
The data highlighting the student responses from the questionnaires will be tallied
manually and then tabulated with the help of computer-based spreadsheet software, that is,
Microsoft Excel.
Data Analysis
A quantitative method will be used where statistical analysis will be used for analyzing
the data obtained from the questionnaire. For the statistical analysis of this research, the
statistical computer software which will be used is SPSS version 18. The independent variables
will be the demographic characteristic of the students. Responses which will reflect the student’s
level of knowledge and outcome of practice concerning food safety and handling will serve as
the dependent variables in this research. Every question which was based on multiple choices
consisted of one correct answer, where 0 points will be given to incorrect responses and 1 point
will be given to correct answers. Comparison of the mean sum of correct answers from every
section of age, mother’s employment, gender, cooking habits, place of residence, year of study,
status of living and subject of study, will be performed using Analysis of Variance (ANNOVA)
and Student t test. The chosen level of significance will be 0.05.

37RESEARCH PROTOCOL
Ethical Considerations
For the ethical conductance of the steps of the proposed research pertaining to data
collection and analysis, the adherence to ethical considerations and principles is of utmost
importance (Roberts 2015). For the successful performance of this research, the presence of
students from a reputed educational institution is essential, which in this case, is the University
of Jordan. Prior to conductance of research, ethical approval and permissions will be obtained
from authorities and professors from the chosen university. Prior to sample selection, the ethical
consideration which will be followed in the form of obtaining informed consent, where students
will be asked to participate voluntarily. For an ethically sound research, no form of force should
be used during sample selection or with candidates displaying disinterest. Prior to obtaining
responses, participants will be explained about the details pertaining to the sections of the
questionnaire. For the purpose of writing the literature review, previously published research will
be mentioned ethically by acknowledging the concerned researches and through the absence of
plagiarism (Wilson, Kenny and Dickson-Swift 2018).
Research Limitations
The credibility and findings of every research is affected by the presence of certain
research limitations, of which, time constraints pose to be pressing concern (Salari and Maxwell
2016). The concerned educational faculties may delay in granting permission for conductance of
the research, which may pose as a major limitation resulting in hindrance of sample selection.
Further, despite being a time saving and cost effective data collection tool, survey questionnaire
are also subject to major shortcomings. Participants may be biased in their responses,
considering ‘social desirability’ and hence write responses which may seem to be favorable or
desirable. Such lack of honesty associated with surveys poses to be a major limitation resulting

38RESEARCH PROTOCOL
in errors of research results obtained. Additionally, preparation of the development of the
literature review, may be problematic, considering the lack of existing research pertaining to the
topic. However, the research must aim to identify and mitigate the consequences associated with
these limitations for the conductance of appropriate research (Ewing 2015).
Proposed Time Frame (Gantt Chart: As designed by the Author)
As stated previously, the proposed research will be conducted between the months of
February 2019 and May 2019, as per the following timeframe:
Tasks 1st to 3rd
week
4th to 10th
week
11th to 13th
week
14th to 17th
week
18th to 21st
week
22nd to
23rd week
24th week
Topic
selection 
Collection of
secondary
data
 
Research
framework
creation
 
Review of
Literature  
Data
interpretatio
n and
Analysis
 
Data
findings  
Conclusion

Draft
Formation  
Complete
work
submission


39RESEARCH PROTOCOL
Expected Research Outcomes
After the successful conductance of the above research, obtaining a clarified
understanding of the existing knowledge, attitude and practices of students belonging to
University of Jordan regarding food safety and handling will be the key expected outcome of this
research. Further, an additional expected outcome will be the identification of any associations
between demographic characteristics and food safety and handling knowledge, attitudes and
practices among the students of Jordan University. Hence, these expected research outcomes will
further pave the way for future research concerning the implementation of educational programs
and policies aiming to enhance existing food safety and handling information among university
students resulting in reduced incidences of food borne illnesses and future positive health
outcomes for the overall community.

40RESEARCH PROTOCOL
References
Ababio, P.F. and Lovatt, P., 2015. A review on food safety and food hygiene studies in
Ghana. Food Control, 47, pp.92-97.
Abuga, M. M., Nyamari, J., and Njagi, J. M., 2017. Evaluation of consumer food hygiene and
safety practices in households in Langata sub-county, Nairobi county, Kenya. International
Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, 7(5), pp.585-592.
Afolaranmi, T.O., Hassan, Z.I., Bello, D.A. and Misari, Z., 2015. Knowledge and practice of
food safety and hygiene among food vendors in primary schools in Jos, Plateau State, North
Central Nigeria. J Med Res, 4(2), pp.016-22.
Akabanda, F., Hlortsi, E.H. and Owusu-Kwarteng, J., 2017. Food safety knowledge, attitudes
and practices of institutional food-handlers in Ghana. BMC public health, 17(1), p.40.
Alrabadi, N.I., Massad, M.A. and Alboqai, O., 2013. Food safety: A Study of Jordanian
consumers knowledge and practices. World Appl Sci J, 22, pp.35-40.
Al-Shabib, N.A., Husain, F.M. and Khan, J.M., 2017. Study on food safety concerns, knowledge
and practices among university students in Saudi Arabia. Food Control, 73, pp.202-208.
Asiegbu, C.V., Lebelo, S.L. and Tabit, F.T., 2016. The food safety knowledge and microbial
hazards awareness of consumers of ready-to-eat street-vended food. Food Control, 60, pp.422-
429.

41RESEARCH PROTOCOL
Beavers, A.S., Murphy, L. and Richards, J.K., 2015. Investigating Change in Adolescent Self‐
Efficacy of Food Safety Through Educational Interventions. Journal of Food Science
Education, 14(2), pp.54-59.
Burke, T., Young, I. and Papadopoulos, A., 2016. Assessing food safety knowledge and
preferred information sources among 19–29 year olds. Food Control, 69, pp.83-89.
Cheng, Y., Zhang, Y., Ma, J. and Zhan, S., 2017. Food safety knowledge, attitude and self-
reported practice of secondary school students in Beijing, China: A cross-sectional study. PloS
one, 12(11), p.e0187208.
Cortese, R.D.M., Veiros, M.B., Feldman, C. and Cavalli, S.B., 2016. Food safety and hygiene
practices of vendors during the chain of street food production in Florianopolis, Brazil: A cross-
sectional study. Food Control, 62, pp.178-186
Courtney, S.M., Majowicz, S.E. and Dubin, J.A., 2016. Food safety knowledge of undergraduate
students at a Canadian university: results of an online survey. BMC public health, 16(1), p.1147.
de Bekker-Grob, E.W., Donkers, B., Jonker, M.F. and Stolk, E.A., 2015. Sample size
requirements for discrete-choice experiments in healthcare: a practical guide. The Patient-
Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, 8(5), pp.373-384.
Dehghan, P., Pournaghi-Azar, F., Azami-Aghdash, S., Sohraby-Silabi, Y., Dadkhah, H. and
Mohammadzadeh-Aghdash, H., 2017. Knowledge and attitude towards health and food safety
among students of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran. Journal of Analytical
Research in Clinical Medicine, 5(2), pp.62-68.

42RESEARCH PROTOCOL
Diplock, K.J., Jones-Bitton, A., Leatherdale, S.T., Rebellato, S., Dubin, J.A. and Majowicz, S.E.,
2017. Over-confident and under-competent: exploring the importance of food safety education
specific to high school students. Environmental Health Review, 60(3), pp.65-72.
Ewing, G.W., 2015. Back to basics: Limitations of research influencing the human brain
project. Computer Science & Systems Biology, 8, pp.322-326.
Faour-Klingbeil, D., Kuri, V. and Todd, E., 2015. Investigating a link of two different types of
food business management to the food safety knowledge, attitudes and practices of food handlers
in Beirut, Lebanon. Food Control, 55, pp.166-175.
Faour-Klingbeil, D., Murtada, M., Kuri, V. and Todd, E.C., 2016. Understanding the routes of
contamination of ready-to-eat vegetables in the Middle East. Food Control, 62, pp.125-133.
Farahat, M.F., El-Shafie, M.M. and Waly, M.I., 2015. Food safety knowledge and practices
among Saudi women. Food Control, 47, pp.427-435.
Ferk, C.C., Calder, B.L. and Camire, M.E., 2016. Assessing the food safety knowledge of
university of Maine students. Journal of Food Science Education, 15(1), pp.14-22.
Gong, S., Wang, X., Yang, Y. and Bai, L., 2016. Knowledge of food safety and handling in
households: A survey of food handlers in Mainland China. Food control, 64, pp.45-53.
Grace, D., 2015. Food safety in low and middle income countries. International journal of
environmental research and public health, 12(9), pp.10490-10507.
Green, E.J. and Knechtges, P.L., 2015. Food safety knowledge and practices of young
adults. Journal of Environmental Health, 77(10), pp.18-25.

43RESEARCH PROTOCOL
Hassan, H.F. and Dimassi, H., 2014. Food safety and handling knowledge and practices of
Lebanese university students. Food Control, 40, pp.127-133.
Hassan, H.F., Dimassi, H. and Karam, Z.N., 2018. Self-reported food safety knowledge and
practices of Lebanese food handlers in Lebanese households. British Food Journal, 120(3),
pp.518-530.
Lazou, T., Georgiadis, M., Pentieva, K., McKevitt, A. and Iossifidou, E., 2012. Food safety
knowledge and food-handling practices of Greek university students: A questionnaire-based
survey. Food Control, 28(2), pp.400-411.
Lee, H.K., Abdul Halim, H., Thong, K.L. and Chai, L.C., 2017. Assessment of food safety
knowledge, attitude, self-reported practices, and microbiological hand hygiene of food
handlers. International journal of environmental research and public health, 14(1), p.55.
Low, W.Y., Jani, R., Halim, H.A., Alias, A.A. and Moy, F.M., 2016. Determinants of food
hygiene knowledge among youths: a cross-sectional online study. Food Control, 59, pp.88-93.
Luo, X., Xu, X., Chen, H., Bai, R., Zhang, Y., Hou, X., Zhang, F., Zhang, Y., Sharma, M., Zeng,
H. and Zhao, Y., 2019. Food safety related knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) among the
students from nursing, education and medical college in Chongqing, China. Food Control, 95,
pp.181-188.
Majowicz, S.E., Hammond, D., Dubin, J.A., Diplock, K.J., Jones-Bitton, A., Rebellato, S. and
Leatherdale, S.T., 2017. A longitudinal evaluation of food safety knowledge and attitudes among
Ontario high school students following a food handler training program. Food Control, 76,
pp.108-116.

44RESEARCH PROTOCOL
Meleko, A., Henok, A., Tefera, W. and Lamaro, T., 2015. Assessment of the sanitary conditions
of catering establishments and food safety knowledge and practices of food handlers in Addis
Ababa University Students’ Cafeteria. Science Journal of Public Health, 3(5), p.733.
Moy, F.M., Alias, A.A., Jani, R., Abdul Halim, H. and Low, W.Y., 2018. Determinants of self-
reported food safety practices among youths: A cross-sectional online study in Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia. British Food Journal, 120(4), pp.891-900.
Mullan, B., Wong, C., Todd, J., Davis, E. and Kothe, E.J., 2015. Food hygiene knowledge in
adolescents and young adults. British Food Journal, 117(1), pp.50-61.
Naeem, N., Raza, S., Mubeen, H., Siddiqui, S.A. and Khokhar, R., 2018. Food safety knowledge,
attitude, and food handling practices of household women in Lahore. Journal of Food Safety,
38(5), p.e12513.
Nik Husain, N.R., Wan Muda, W.M., Noor Jamil, N.I., Nik Hanafi, N.N. and Abdul Rahman, R.,
2016. Effect of food safety training on food handlers’ knowledge and practices: A randomized
controlled trial. British Food Journal, 118(4), pp.795-808.
Odeyemi, O.A., Sani, N.A., Obadina, A.O., Saba, C.K.S., Bamidele, F.A., Abughoush, M.,
Asghar, A., Dongmo, F.F.D., Macer, D. and Aberoumand, A., 2018. Food safety knowledge,
attitudes and practices among consumers in developing countries: An international survey. Food
Research International.
Osaili, T.M., Al-Nabulsi, A.A. and Krasneh, H.D.A., 2018. Food safety knowledge among
foodservice staff at the universities in Jordan. Food Control, 89, pp.167-176.

45RESEARCH PROTOCOL
Osaili, T.M., Obeidat, B.A., Hajeer, W.A. and Al-Nabulsi, A.A., 2017. Food safety knowledge
among food service staff in hospitals in Jordan. Food Control, 78, pp.279-285.
Osaili, T.M., Obeidat, B.A., Jamous, D.O.A. and Bawadi, H.A., 2011. Food safety knowledge
and practices among college female students in north of Jordan. Food Control, 22(2), pp.269-
276.
Padilla, M., Stehman, S.V., Ramo, R., Corti, D., Hantson, S., Oliva, P., Alonso-Canas, I.,
Bradley, A.V., Tansey, K., Mota, B. and Pereira, J.M., 2015. Comparing the accuracies of
remote sensing global burned area products using stratified random sampling and
estimation. Remote sensing of environment, 160, pp.114-121.
Roberts, L.D., 2015. Ethical issues in conducting qualitative research in online
communities. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 12(3), pp.314-325.
Salari, S. and Maxwell, C.D., 2016. Lethal intimate partner violence in later life: Understanding
measurements, strengths, and limitations of research. Journal of elder abuse & neglect, 28(4-5),
pp.235-262.
Samapundo, S., Thanh, T.C., Xhaferi, R. and Devlieghere, F., 2016. Food safety knowledge,
attitudes and practices of street food vendors and consumers in Ho Chi Minh city,
Vietnam. Food Control, 70, pp.79-89.
Sanlier, N. and Konaklioglu, E., 2012. Food safety knowledge, attitude and food handling
practices of students. British Food Journal, 114(4), pp.469-480.
Sivaramalingam, B., Young, I., Pham, M.T., Waddell, L., Greig, J., Mascarenhas, M. and
Papadopoulos, A., 2015. Scoping review of research on the effectiveness of food-safety

46RESEARCH PROTOCOL
education interventions directed at consumers. Foodborne pathogens and disease, 12(7), pp.561-
570.
Teisl, M.F., Lando, A.M., Levy, A.S. and Noblet, C.L., 2016. Importance of cohorts in analyzing
trends in safe at-home food-handling practices. Food Control, 62, pp.381-389.
Webb, M. and Morancie, A., 2015. Food safety knowledge of foodservice workers at a university
campus by education level, experience, and food safety training. Food Control, 50, pp.259-264.
Wilcock, A. and Ball, B., 2017. Food safety: consumer perceptions and practices.
Wilson, E., Kenny, A. and Dickson-Swift, V., 2018. Ethical challenges in community-based
participatory research: a scoping review. Qualitative health research, 28(2), pp.189-199.
Woh, P.Y., Thong, K.L., Behnke, J.M., Lewis, J.W. and Zain, S.N.M., 2016. Evaluation of basic
knowledge on food safety and food handling practices amongst migrant food handlers in
Peninsular Malaysia. Food Control, 70, pp.64-73.
Young, I. and Waddell, L., 2016. Barriers and facilitators to safe food handling among
consumers: a systematic review and thematic synthesis of qualitative research studies. PloS
one, 11(12), p.e0167695.