Factors Affecting the Food Sanitation Conditions of Food Establishments in Phatthalung Municipality, Mueang Phatthalung District, Phatthalung Province
Abstract
This analytical cross-sectional study aimed to investigate factors affecting the food sanitation conditions of food establishments in Phatthalung Municipality, Mueang Phatthalung District, Phatthalung Province. The study included 128 food handlers. Data were collected using a food sanitation assessment form and a questionnaire on factors affecting food sanitation conditions, with reliability coefficients of 0.82 and 0.85, respectively. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multiple logistic regression analysis. The results were presented as adjusted odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals
The results showed that 50.78% of food establishments met the food sanitation criteria. Factors significantly affecting food sanitation conditions at the 0.05 level were a high level of food sanitation knowledge among food handlers (AOR = 6.03, 95% CI = 1.24 - 29.34), a high level of infrastructure readiness (AOR = 14.92, 95% CI = 1.75 - 127.50), and a high level of perceived impact (AOR = 17.25, 95% CI = 1.81 - 164.86).
The findings indicate that predisposing factors, particularly food sanitation knowledge; enabling factors, particularly infrastructure readiness; and reinforcing factors, particularly perceived impact, affect food sanitation conditions. Government agencies should promote the development of food sanitation knowledge among food handlers and strengthen concrete policy support, such as providing necessary equipment, educational materials, and legal communication, to improve food sanitation conditions.
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