A pilot study to evaluate the effectiveness of a social marketing‐based consumer food safety initiative using observation

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this research is to aim to use observation, linked to quantitative risk‐based scoring, to evaluate the effectiveness of a small‐scale consumer food safety initiative based on the social marketing approach. Evaluation of intervention effectiveness is considered to be an important component of any health education initiative. The ultimate goal for social marketing initiatives is sustained behavioural change. Thus, when determining the effectiveness of community‐based social marketing interventions, direct measurement of behaviour is advocated.Design/methodology/approachA small‐scale food safety strategy using targeted interventions was piloted in a geographical test community in South Wales, UK. Targeted consumers from the community prepared a set meal in a model domestic kitchen before, immediately after, and 4‐6 weeks after implementation of the strategy. Observations of meal preparations were made using CCTV and food‐handling behaviours were recorded and assessed using a risk‐based scoring system. A quantitative evaluation of overall and specific food safety behaviours was made, and an effect size analysis provided a measure of potential intervention effectiveness.FindingsThis pilot study suggested that “one‐off” food safety interventions developed and implemented using a social marketing approach may result in a short‐term improvement of consumer food safety behaviours. Interventions targeting specific food safety behaviours may produce a “halo effect” upon other food safety behaviours that are known, yet not consistently implemented during domestic food preparation. Intervention effect was greater immediately after implementation of the strategy than 4‐6 weeks later. Use of the risk‐based scoring system and observation techniques were effective for assessing food hygiene behaviours and evaluating the effectiveness of interventions.Originality/valueThe use of an observational risk‐based approach to assess consumer food safety behaviours can provide a valuable tool for evaluation of the estimated immediate and long‐term effectiveness of food safety interventions on a small scale prior to launch of a larger initiative.

Consumer food safety education for the domestic environment: a systematic review

“…Two of these, however, reported unequal sample sizes between the intervention and the control condition without rationale (Medeiros et al, 2004;Redmond & Griffith, 2006b). Furthermore, due to the small nature of the Redmond & Griffith (2006b) pilot study, effect size analysis rather than statistical significance tests were conducted. As such this study may not be able to effectively draw conclusions about differences between the efficacy of the control and intervention procedures.…”

“…However, one study reported blinding participants to the research question of the study (Nauta et al, 2008). Two studies included outcome assessment via observations; however, neither study included information about blinding of assessors to conditions (Nauta et al, 2008;Redmond & Griffith, 2006b). Another potential issue in terms of design for the Medeiros, et al (2004) study was a lack of reporting of the timing differences for the implementation of interventions compared with the control.…”

“…The Redmond study (Redmond & Griffith, 2006b) refers to the Health Action Process Approach (HAPA) in the methods section, in which the researchers utilise the HAPA for participant recruitment. However, as the Redmond study is observational it only focuses on the HAPA Action stage.…”

“…Only three studies were designed as controlled trials (Medeiros et al, 2004;Nauta et al, 2008;Redmond & Griffith, 2006b). Two of these, however, reported unequal sample sizes between the intervention and the control condition without rationale (Medeiros et al, 2004;Redmond & Griffith, 2006b).…”

“…As a consequence, food-safety objectives are now being set at the moment of consumption rather than at the moment of purchase (WHO/FAO, 2004) with consumers being heralded as the essential final link in the food chain to ensure safe food consumption and avoid food-borne disease (The Pennington Group, 1997, as cited in Redmond et al, 2004). This shift in focus has allowed researchers to comprehensively examine domestic food preparation practices using telephone surveys (Cody & Hogue, 2003;Redmond & Griffith, 2004a;Woodburn & Raab, 1997), postal surveys (Angell, 2008;Dharod et al, 2004;Redmond & Griffith, 2005a;Redmond & Griffith, 2005b;Redmond & Griffith, 2006a;Takeuchi et al, 2005a;Takeuchi et al, 2005b;Williamson et al, 1992), online surveys (Byrd-Bredbenner et al, 2007;Nauta et al, 2008;Unusan, 2007), home visits (Worsfold & Griffith, 1996), observations (Anderson et al, 2004;Clayton et al, 2003;Fischer, A. et al, 2007;Jay et al, 1999;Redmond & Griffith, 2006b;Redmond et al, 2004), laboratory simulations (Meredith et al, 2001) and reviews (Redmond & Griffith, 2003;Sattar et al, 1999;Wilcock et al, 2004).…”