310779
Photonovella as an educational tool to promote safe chitterling (pork intestine) practices among African Americans of low socioeconomic status
Methods: A community developed photonovella highlighting safe meat handling practices was tested among clients at low income clinics. A food safety questionnaire was performed pre- and post- intervention to determine efficacy.
Results: Among 200 African American consumers interviewed, 86 (43%) reported inadequate (<15 seconds) hand-washing; and 107 (54%) reported using one cutting board for both meat and produce. Thirty-four (17%) had previously heard of the USDA recommendation ‘to boil chitterlings for 5 minutes before cleaning’, and 108 (54%) had heard of at least one other food safety education program (FightBac, Be Food Safe, Thermy). In a sub-analysis of 43 consumers who cooked or prepared chitterlings, 27 reported not boiling chitterlings before cleaning (pre-intervention). Of these 10 (37%) reported that they changed their behavior since receiving the photonovella- they now either boil (7) or do not cook (3) chitterlings (p<0.01).Proportion of those reporting thawing meat on the counter reduced from 13 (30%) to 3 (7%) (<0.01), and hand-washing (>20 seconds) improved from 24 (56%) to 29 (67%) in participants post-intervention (p=0.2). Nine (21%) and 5 (12 %) of participants, respectively, said that someone else they lived with, and someone else who doesn’t live with them also read the photonovella.
Conclusion: A photonovella is a feasible and well received intervention. Active dissemination of materials may be required for better penetration of food safety education for this population.
Learning Areas:
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programsPlanning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Learning Objectives:
Identify need for better penetration of food safety materials in high risk populations.
Discuss the development and use of photonovellas as food safety educational tools.
Keyword(s): Food Safety, Communication
Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am co-investigator, or key research personnel, on a number of federally funded grants focusing on evaluation of public health interventions. My scientific interests are in the area of research to practice, specifically in the development and evaluation of curriculum and training interventions.
Any relevant financial relationships? No
I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.