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Food Safety for Families with Young Children is a theoretically based project using the constructs of the Health Belief Model for the research component and a social marketing framework for the educational program development and delivery. Families with children 10 and younger are at risk for foodborne illness. E. coli O157:H7 causes severe foodborne illness in young children which can be deadly. The long term outcome of this project is to reduce foodborne illness in families with young children. <P> The goals of this project are to find out what young families know about foodborne illness, what are their current food safety handling practices and beliefs, what are barriers to implementing safe food handling practices, and how to reach them with the necessary information to prevent foodborne illness. This research component is based on the constructs of the Health Belief Model. As a result of the research findings, we will develop a multifaceted food safety educational approach to reach families with young children. The educational component will use a social marketing framework [(Social Marketing Assessment and Response Tool) SMART]. <P> Based on the limited research and the need to reach families with young children with food safety information due to increased risk for foodborne illness for children, we propose to: <OL> <LI> Conduct 6-8 focus groups (elicitation interviews) to ascertain current food safety behavior, barriers and beliefs of the primary food handler from families with young children utilizing the constructs of the Health Belief Model. <LI> Develop a survey based on knowledge gained from the focus groups (elicitation interviews), prior research, and FightBac and Be Food Safe (USDA) materials using the constructs of the Health Belief Model. Conduct the survey to a nationwide population of families with young children. <LI> Based on the results of the focus groups (elicitation interviews) and survey, a multifaceted food safety educational program using many delivery methods, including technology, will be developed. A social marketing framework will be used in the educational program development and delivery. <LI> Conduct an outcome based evaluation of the educational programming.
NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: Food Safety for Families with Young Children is a theoretically based project using the constructs of the Health Belief Model for the research component and a social marketing framework for the educational program development and delivery. Families with children 10 and younger (infants to middle school children) are at risk for foodborne illness. Considerable research has been conducted on consumer food handling practices and beliefs but published surveys do not focus specifically on food handling practices and beliefs of the primary food handler in families with young children. Focus groups and a nationwide mail survey will be conducted to obtain current food safety practices and beliefs of primary food handlers from families with young children. The multifaceted educational program will be developed and delivered using a social marketing approach (SMART) and evaluated based on the findings of the focus groups and survey. <P>
APPROACH: Six to eight focus groups will be conducted in two major metropolitan areas and two rural areas. Question items for the focus groups will be developed using the constructs of the health belief model to elicit information about current food handling practices, where they receive food safety information, food safety beliefs, barriers to current food safety recommendations and how and what methods should be used to reach families with young children with food safety information. A nationwide mail survey will be developed based on the constructs of the Health Belief Model incorporating results of the focus groups. The survey will be sent to a representative sample of primary food handlers from families with young children. A knowledge component and a demographic section will be included in the survey. A multifaceted food safety educational program will be developed using a social marketing framework (SMART). The educational program components will be developed based on the findings of the focus groups and survey. To reach the target audience, families with young children, a variety of educational methods will be used incorporating methods suggested by the survey and focus group results. Educational material to be developed may include: a brochure for use in programming and distribution at events and grocery store promotions, childcare settings, parent-teacher conferences; television and radio Public Service Announcements (PSAs); internet messages for use on county extension websites; POD casts; and video (DVD) clips for use in strategic locations in local grocery stores or with pod casts and websites; message boards/ bill boards; news releases for use in newsletters and newspapers; and science fair boards displays for use at local events. The multifaceted educational programming will be conducted in tests sites with matched control sites. An evaluation instrument will be developed to evaluate the outcomes of the social marketing approach. The survey items will be developed based on short term, intermediate and long term outcomes. The constructs of the Health Belief Model will also be used in survey item development.