Typhoid Fever Knowledge, Attitudes, and Preventive Practices among Cooked-food Vendors in Omega New Market, Paynesville, Monrovia, Liberia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Typhoid fever remains a public health concern in Liberia, yet evidence on typhoid-related knowledge, attitudes and preventive practices among cooked-food vendors in local markets is limited. This study assessed these dimensions among vendors at Omega New Market, Paynesville, Monrovia. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted between May and July 2026 among 155 cooked-food vendors aged 18 years and above. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire administered through Google Forms and analysed using descriptive statistics, chi-square tests and logistic regression in SPSS version 26. Results: All participants were women. Overall, 69.7% demonstrated good knowledge, 48.4% had favourable attitudes and 43.9% reported good preventive practices. None reported receiving formal food safety training. Only 31.6% reported always washing their hands with soap before handling food, and 49.7% knew that a typhoid vaccine was available. Bivariate analyses identified associations between preventive practices and age, education, food-vending experience, culinary-water source, self-reported typhoid history and attitude. In the reported adjusted analysis, more than three years of vending experience and use of hand-pump water were associated with higher odds of good preventive practices; education and self-reported typhoid history were also associated with the outcome. Conclusion: The results indicate differences between knowledge, attitudes and reported practices among the surveyed vendors. Practical food hygiene education and context-specific preventive measures merit consideration, while the cross-sectional findings do not establish causal relationships.