Food Safety Instruction Improves Knowledge and Behavior Risk and Protection Factors for Foodborne Illnesses in Pregnant Populations.

Objective This study compared knowledge and food-handling behavior after pathogen-specific (experimental treatment) versus basic food safety instruction (active control) presented during nutrition education classes for low-income English- and Spanish-language pregnant women. Methods Subjects (n = 550) were randomly assigned to treatment groups in two different locations in the United States. Food safety instruction was part of an 8-lesson curriculum.

Examining trust factors in online food risk information: The case of unpasteurized or 'raw' milk.

The internet has become an increasingly important way of communicating with consumers about food risk information. However, relatively little is known about how consumers evaluate and come to trust the information they encounter online. Using the example of unpasteurized or raw milk this paper presents two studies exploring the trust factors associated with online information about the risks and benefits of raw milk consumption.

Health professionals' knowledge and understanding about Listeria monocytogenes indicates a need for improved professional training.

Listeria monocytogenes causes listeriosis, an uncommon but potentially fatal disease in immunocompromised persons, with a public health burden of approximately $2 billion annually. Those consumers most at risk are the highly susceptible populations otherwise known as the immunocompromised. Health professionals have a considerable amount of interaction with the immunocompromised and are therefore a valuable resource for providing appropriate safe food handling information.

Nurses and dietitians differ in food safety information provided to highly susceptible clients.

Objective: To determine content, education channels, and motivational factors that influence what health professionals teach about safe food handling to populations who are highly susceptible for foodborne illnesses. To assess the differences in information provided by health professionals to highly susceptible populations.

Design: Descriptive, cross-sectional, Web-based survey.

Registered dietitian's personal beliefs and characteristics predict their teaching or intention to teach fresh vegetable food safety.

The Theory of Planned Behavior was used to determine if dietitians personal characteristics and beliefs about fresh vegetable food safety predict whether they currently teach, intend to teach, or neither currently teach nor intend to teach food safety information to their clients. Dietitians who participated in direct client education responded to this web-based survey (n=327). The survey evaluated three independent belief variables: Subjective Norm, Attitudes, and Perceived Behavioral Control.

Qualitative studies of the food safety knowledge and perceptions of transplant patients.

Organ and stem cell transplant patients are at risk for foodborne illness due to disease and medically induced immunosuppression. The food safety knowledge and informational needs of these groups have not been documented in the literature. The objectives of this study were to assess transplant patients' food safety knowledge and perceptions, to probe the likelihood of practicing safe food handling behavior, and to test an educational strategy for future food safety interventions aimed at transplant patients.

Differences in Listeria monocytogenes contamination of rural Ohio residences with and without livestock.

To determine the contribution of on-site livestock to the environmental contamination of rural households with Listeria monocytogenes, a total of 1779 environmental and food samples were collected from 26 ruminant-farm households and 26 rural households in Ohio. L. monocytogenes isolates were identified and differentiated using sequence comparisons of the intragenic regions of inlB and inlC.

Zoonoses and the physicians' role in educating farming patients.

The purpose of this study was to characterize physicians' knowledge of zoonoses and perceived role in the process of zoonoses education among their farming patients in Northeast Ohio. In 2006, 92 practicing physicians (specialties included family medicine, internal medicine, obstetrics/gynecology, and preventive medicine) identified through Web-based hospital directories participated in a self-administered anonymous questionnaire. Descriptive analysis was used to summarize physicians' practice procedures, and self- perceived knowledge of zoonoses.

Inactivation of Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli O157:H7, and Salmonella typhimurium with compounds available in households.

Solutions of selected household products were tested for their effectiveness against Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli O157:H7, and Salmonella Typhimurium. Hydrogen peroxide (1.5 and 3%), vinegar (2.

Efficacy of sanitizing agents against Listeria monocytogenes biofilms on high-density polyethylene cutting board surfaces.

This study compared the effectiveness of 10 commercially available sanitizers against Listeria monocytogenes biofilms on high-density polyethylene cutting boards. Smooth and rough surface high-density polyethylene coupons (2 by 5 cm) were inoculated (approximately 6 log CFU/cm2) with a five-strain composite of L. monocytogenes in ham homogenate and incubated at 24 degrees C and > or = 90% relative humidity for up to 21 days.

Evaluation of an educational intervention using the enhanced food safety cost-of-illness model.

In recent years, a number of federally sponsored state-based food safety education programs have conducted economic evaluations aimed at demonstrating the efficacy of their approaches. These evaluations have typically been based on the "Virginia method," a comprehensive, but overly simplistic means of estimating benefit-cost ratios for food safety and nutrition education programs. In this article, we use the enhanced food safety cost-of-illness model, coupled with a more complete food safety education intervention model to evaluate the efficacy of the Ohio Family Nutrition Program.

Economic cost of foodborne illness in Ohio.

Past efforts to evaluate the economic burden of risks from foodborne illness in the United States have generally taken the form of studies focused on a single or a small number of "important" pathogens. As a result, the economic impact of many less prominent pathogens has not been sufficiently explored. Consequently, currently available studies only provide cost estimates for fewer than 4 million of the 76 million cases of foodborne illness, are incomplete, and, as a result, underestimate the efficacy of broad-based intervention programs.

Discovery and development of educational strategies to encourage safe food handling behaviors in cancer patients.

Foodborne infections pose a threat to cancer patients who are immunocompromised because of disease or medical therapy. Comprehensive food safety education can raise cancer patients' awareness of risk for foodborne infections and encourage risk-reducing behavior. The objectives of this study were to assess food safety informational needs of cancer patients and to determine factors that may influence prospective educational interventions that foster risk-reducing behaviors.

Consumer assessment of safety and date labeling statements on ready-to-eat meat and poultry products designed to minimize risk of listeriosis.

Point-of-purchase safety-based labeling guidance on the proper storage and handling of refrigerated ready-to-eat (RTE) meat and poultry products could help reduce the risk of listeriosis. Seniors and pregnant women are two population groups at increased risk of listeriosis due to suppressed or compromised immune systems. We conducted 11 focus groups with senior-aged women and women of childbearing age in Colorado and Ohio to assess consumer awareness of Listeria, storage practices of RTE meat products, perceptions regarding the acceptability and usefulness of common date and potential food safety labeling statements on RTE meat and poultry products, and food safety information needs.

Online continuing education course enhances nutrition and health professionals' knowledge of food safety issues of high-risk populations.

Objective: To develop and evaluate the efficacy of an online continuing education course for professionals who provide food safety information to high-risk populations.

Design: A 2-credit graduate-level class was converted into six web-based modules (overview of foodborne illness, immunology, pregnancy, human immunodeficiency virus, cancer and transplants, and lifecycle) and offered to nutrition and health professionals. Participants had 8 weeks to complete the modules, pre and post questionnaires, and course evaluation.

Food safety guidance for older adults.

Aging is associated with loss of the physical barriers and immune efficiency that typically control pathogens' access to and multiplication within the body, thus making infection more likely in elderly persons. Chronic diseases and other health factors, such as malnutrition and immobility, may increase susceptibility to and severity of infections, including foodborne illnesses, in elderly persons, as well as associated morbidity and mortality. Prevention is the best way to avoid foodborne illnesses, but older adults have long-established food preparation and handling practices, some of which may increase the likelihood of illness.

Application of a five-step message development model for food safety education materials targeting people with HIV/AIDS.

Individuals with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome have an increased risk of contracting foodborne illnesses and need to take special precautions regarding food safety. We implemented a five-step model to assess the needs of people with HIV, develop education materials targeted to their needs, and evaluate acceptance of the materials. Needs assessment focus groups (n=8) with HIV-infected people (n=65) and interviews with health care providers (n=18) were conducted to determine motivators and barriers to adopting food safety recommendations.

A logic model framework for community nutrition education.

Logic models are a practical method for systematically collecting impact data for community nutrition efforts, such as the Food Stamp Nutrition Education program. This report describes the process used to develop and test the Community Nutrition Education Logic Model and the results of a pilot study to determine whether national evaluation data could be captured without losing flexibility of programming and evaluation at the state level. The objectives were to develop an evaluation framework based on the Logic Model to include dietary quality, food safety, food security, and shopping behavior/food resource management and to develop a training mechanism for use.

Food safety issues for cancer and organ transplant patients.

This paper explores reasons why cancer and transplant patients are at greater risk for food-borne illnesses and which pathogens and food-handling behaviors are of particular concern. Cancer and bone marrow transplant patients experience neutropenia because of medical treatments, whereas patients with solid organ transplants become immunosuppressed from a pharmacological regimen to prevent rejection of the transplanted organ. Opportunistic infections, including food-borne illnesses, may occur during periods of immunosuppression.

Observation versus self-report: validation of a consumer food behavior questionnaire.

A reliable and validated set of food safety behavior questions that could be used with confidence when evaluating food safety education programs was identified in this study. A list of 29 food-handling and consumption behaviors rank-ordered within five pathogen control factors by nationally recognized food safety experts was the basis for the development of the behavior questions. Questions were evaluated for reliability and several forms of validity.

Awareness and acceptance of current food safety recommendations during pregnancy.

Objectives: To better understand pregnant women's food safety attitudes and beliefs that affect food selection, preparation and handling behaviors, sources of food safety information, motivators and barriers to adopting current recommendations, and preferences for receiving food safety materials.

Methods: Eleven focus groups were conducted with 69 women (57 pregnant and 12 less than 6 months postpartum). The Health Belief Model guided development of the moderator's guide.

Design and development of food safety knowledge and attitude scales for consumer food safety education.

Objective: The objective of this study was to design and develop food safety knowledge and attitude scales based on food-handling guidelines developed by a national panel of food safety experts.

Design: Knowledge (n=43) and attitude (n=49) questions were developed and pilot-tested with a variety of consumer groups. Final questions were selected based on item analysis and on validity and reliability statistical tests.

Health care providers' attitudes toward current food safety recommendations for pregnant women.

Semistructured interviews were conducted with 23 health care professionals who work with pregnant women in a preliminary study to understand health care providers' attitudes regarding current food safety recommendations for pregnant women and interest in education and patient materials on food safety during pregnancy. Only 8 of 23 interviewed currently provided food safety information to their pregnant clients. Limited understanding of food safety issues and limited time with patients were barriers to providing such information.

Effect of male sex and obesity on platelet arachidonic acid in spontaneous hypertensive heart failure rats.

Sexual dimorphism is observed in the progression to congestive heart failure and, ultimately, in longevity in spontaneously hypertensive heart failure (SHHF) rats. As platelet activation may impact development of cardiovascular diseases, we studied the effects of obesity and sex on platelet polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) profile and its relationship to platelet aggregation in 6-month-old SHHF rats. After a 24-hr fast, blood was obtained for measurement of platelet phospholipid omega-6 (n-6) and omega-3 (n-3) PUFA.