Developing, translating, and validating a survey instrument for assessing hospital food service staff's food safety knowledge, perceptions, and practices during the COVID-19 pandemic.

OBJECTIVES

To develop and validate a questionnaire to assess the food safety knowledge, perceptions, and practices (KPPs) of hospital food service staff (FSS) amidst the challenges of the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

METHODS

The questionnaire was subjected to a rigorous evaluation process, which included a literature review and focus groups comprising the general public, FSS, and key experts in food service. The pilot testing highlighted its utility and determined its content validity ratio (CVR).

RESULTS

Most items received high CVR scores of 0.96, indicating excellent content validity. A subsequent pilot study involved 40 FSS. Reliability testing, using Cronbach's alpha value of 0.914, demonstrated good internal consistency across the questionnaire scales. The final version consisted of 115 items.

CONCLUSION

The developed questionnaire, available in both English and Arabic, exhibits both validity and reliability. It acts as a crucial tool for healthcare facilities to assess food safety KPPs among FSS, both under regular operations and during crises like the COVID-19 pandemic. This tool is adaptable to various hospital settings, aiding in the reduction of foodborne diseases risks.

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