Food Safety Knowledge and Practices of Pregnant Women and Postpartum Mothers in Slovenia

Abstract

Food safety during pregnancy and postpartum is important for preventing foodborne diseases, while pregnant women are considered vulnerable due to their immunomodulatory condition. The current study aimed to investigate the self-reported food safety knowledge and practices of pregnant women and postpartum mothers in Slovenia using an online questionnaire and to compare the results with nonpregnant women as a control group. The study was conducted with 426 women, of whom 145 were pregnant, 191 were not pregnant, and 90 were postpartum. The online questionnaire consisted of questions related to food safety risk perception, hand hygiene, food purchase, food storage, food preparation and handling of infant formula and breast milk. The results showed that women generally have basic knowledge of proper food handling and are aware of food safety, but some specific gaps were identified in food handling at home, especially concerning microbiological risks. However, the results showed that pregnant women performed better than the postpartum group, and both groups performed significantly better than the nonpregnant group. The media was most frequently cited as a source of food safety information, especially by the pregnant group. Trained health workers should also inform women on how to ensure food safety in the home environment.

Food safety knowledge among pregnant women in the United Arab Emirates amid the COVID-19 pandemic

“…In contrast to our findings, a study among women in Jordan reported that a high proportion of participants (61.6%) who use separate sets of cutting boards and knives for meat or vegetable and who wash them after each use [26]. Moreover, pregnant women in Slovenia were found to be more concerned with using separate cutting boards and knife sets as opposed to non-pregnant women [13].…”

“…In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), food safety authorities and municipalities play a pivotal role in ensuring food safety in the country and promoting messages and advice to the public. In this particular group, previous international research identified gaps in knowledge and practices of basic food safety aspects in food preparation, temperature control, cross-contamination, safe food consumption, and personal hygiene [10,12,13]. Moreover, a recent study in the UAE found that non-pregnant women had an acceptable level of knowledge on food safety regarding cross-contamination and foodborne diseases but lacked detailed knowledge on risk factors for foodborne diseases and food preparation and consumption [14].…”

Prenatal harmful substances: Thai pregnant women’s experiences

“…These practices align with recommendations to avoid fish high in mercury processed foods and to consume clean, fresh, and thoroughly-cooked food, as well as to wash vegetables and fruits and use clean cooking utensils (US Food and Drug Administration, 2022 ). Similarly, our findings are consistent with previous research indicating that pregnant women refrain from taking medicine without a prescription (Sychareun et al, 2022 ), reduce seafood consumption to minimize mercury exposure (Schaefer et al, 2019 ), and select safe food stalls and cooking utensils (Jevsnik et al, 2021 ).…”

Pengetahuan Dan Praktik Keamanan Pangan Pada Ibu Hamil Pada Masa Pandemi Covid-19 Di Wilayah Urban Dan Rural

“…Hasil penelitian ini sejalan dengan penelitian yang dilakukan sebelumnya dimana mayoritas ibu hamil berusia 25-36 tahun, berpendidikan tinggi, dan merupakanibu rumah tangga. [17][18][19][20][21] Pengetahuan ibu hamil tentang keamanan pangan cukup baik, mencapai hampir seluruh ibu hamil. Sejalan dengan penelitian Asiedu et al yang menunjukkan hampir seluruh ibu hamil mendapat nilai pengetahuan memuaskan tentang keamanan pangan.…”