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<p>Goal: To analyze the data which has been collected to demonstrate the efficacy of teaching the Ready, Set Food Safe (RSFS) curriculum to high school students to provide safer food in food service establishments where they work and to describe the data in a manuscript to be submitted to Food Protection Trends. </p>
<p>1. To complete entry of data collected by some high school teachers from their students at the conclusion of teaching the Ready, Set Food Safe curriculum in which food safety knowledge, attitudes and behaviors were self reported. Approximately 6000 data lines (representing 62 classes and 1744 students) were entered in an Excel data sheet in summer of 2011. Data which has come in since then needs to be entered and all data analyzed for descriptive and other statistical measures. </p>
<p>2. To complete entry of data collected by some high school teachers from their students at the conclusion of teaching the Ready, Set Food Safe curriculum in which students rated behaviors of food service workers after reading a short story describing actions occurring in a fast food restaurant. Data representing 32 classes and 870 students were entered in an Excel data sheet in summer of 2011. Data which has come in since then needs to be entered and all data analyzed for descriptive and other statistical measures. </p>
<p>3. To organize the phone and in-person interviews recording food safety knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of individuals who took Ready, Set Food Safe in their high school foods class and that work in food service. Similarly to organize interview data obtained with the food service manager. The interview data was collected by project team members from high schools in their geographic area. The data will be analyzed and described.</p>
<p>NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: <br/>bout one-third of employed youth 15-17 years of age work in food service. More than 70% of high school students work in food service as their first job. Increasingly the foods Americans eat are prepared by others, via a variety of food service formats. Almost half of the total food expenditures in 2010 were spent on food away from home . Although the source of most foodborne disease outbreaks cannot be determined, data from cases where etiology is identified indicate about 43% occur at delis, cafeterias or restaurants. It is important to food service establishment customers and owners that the youth employed are well trained in food safety procedures and perform well on the job. In Idaho, food service food safety instruction for high school students is provided by approximately 70 high school teachers and four UI Extension FCS Educators who
teach the UI Extension curriculum, Ready, Set Food Safe . Some training for high school students working in food service is also provided by their food service employers; the extent of this training varies with the company's policies and resources. Although the Environmental Sanitarians in Idaho's Health Districts provide food service food safety training, they do not have time to provide this training in high schools. Ready, Set Food Safe has been offered in Idaho since 2002 and has issued Idaho Department of Health and Welfare-approved food safety and sanitation certificates (aka food handlers' cards) to 13,333 high school students who have passed the certification test. Our 2006-2012 Hatch project, Impact Evaluation of Teaching a Curriculum for Food Service Food Safety Education to High School Students, has collected data to evaluate the impact of this program in improving
food safety behaviors of high school students. Self-report, written statements from 1744 students who have completed the Ready, Set Food Safe curriculum over the period 2006-2011, identify knowledge items, attitudes and behaviors that the students have learned and applied. The project is also conducting phone (or in person) interviews with 20 students who have taken Ready, Set Food Safe and who work in food service jobs to determine how the curriculum has aided them. Interviews with the employed students' food service supervisor are also collected, when possible. The collection of this evaluation data (student statements, case study response, and student interviews) will allow us to identify the value of this program to stakeholders. Documentation of improved food safety practices among high school age food handlers will validate our investment to deliver this program, will increase
confidence in the program for food service providers, and will inform Idaho food service patrons of safer food.
<p>APPROACH: <br/>The project team of Sandra M. McCurdy, Joey Peutz, Laura Sant, Carol Hampton and Grace Wittman will meet to review 1) the raw data collected concerning students self reported food safety knowledge, attitudes and behavior, 2) the raw data collected concerning high school students' rating of behaviors food service workers after reading a short story describing actions in a fast food restaurant, and 3) the raw data collected via phone and in-person interviews recording food safety knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of individuals who took Ready, Set Food Safe in their high school foods class and who work in food service, and to similarly to organize interview data obtained with the food service manager. After review, the team will prepare the data for publication (Food Protection Trends). The team will work with statistician Bill Price.
<p>PROGRESS: 2013/01 TO 2013/09 <p>Target Audience: <br/>High school students who have taken the University of Idaho Extension food service foodsafety curriculum Ready, Set Food Safe and whowork at a food service job. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? High school students received training in food service food safety. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Nothing Reported What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Analyze the data collected for impacts on food safety of teaching a food service food safety curriculum to high school students with a food service job. Prepare project results for publication.
<p>PROGRESS: 2012/07/01 TO 2012/12/31
<p>OUTPUTS: <br/>This project is to complete collection of high school student interview data started in a previous project and for the analysis of the quantitative and qualitative data collected in the previous project, "Impact Evaluation of Teaching a Curriculum for Food Service Food Safety Education to High School Students," 2006-2012. A list Family and Consumer Sciences high school teachers that have used "Ready, Set, Food Safe" during the Fall 2011 through Spring 2012 school year and that are located within 50-60 miles of Boise and Burley was prepared to aid in identifying interview subjects. Eleven interviews remain to be completed. PARTICIPANTS: Principal investigators who are conducting the project include: Sandra M. McCurdy, Ph.D., Extension Food Safety Specialist, School of Family and Consumer Sciences, University of Idaho
(location Moscow, ID); Joey Peutz, Extension Educator - Payette County, University of Idaho (location Payette, ID); Carol Hampton, Extension Educator - Boundary County, University of Idaho (location Bonners Ferry, ID), Grace Wittman, Extension Educator - Cassia County, University of Idaho (location Burley, ID); and Laura Sant, Extension Educator - Franklin County, University of Idaho (location Preston, ID). A collaborator is Teresa Golis, Family and Consumer Sciences Program Manager, Idaho Division of Professional-Technical Education (location Boise, ID). TARGET AUDIENCES: The target audience is high school students working in food service. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.