Abstract Background: Foodborne illnesses, impacting an estimated 600 million individuals every year, are a large public health concern, especially for children under age 5, who carry about 40% of the burden. Anganwadi workers, central to India's Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) workforce, are critical to ensuring food safety among young children and mothers. This study assesses the effect of educational interventions on food safety knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) among Anganwadi personnel. Methodology: A quasi-experimental study was carried out between November and December 2024 in 39 Anganwadi centers of Mangalagiri, Andhra Pradesh. Participants were allocated to the Enhanced intervention group (flipchart + interaction) (n=18) and the Minimal intervention group (n=21). Baseline KAP was measured using a pretested, semi-structured questionnaire. The Enhanced intervention group received 30 minutes’ one-on-one session by a public health professional (junior resident doctor) with enhanced intervention, discussion, and demonstrations aligned with WHO’s “Five Keys to Safer Food”, educational sessions focusing on hand hygiene, safe food handling, storage, and pathogen prevention. The pamphlet group was given standard pamphlet-based education. Post-intervention KAP was measured one month later. R software version 4.4 was used to analyze the data, with paired t-tests and Mann-Whitney U tests (p<0.05). Findings: The Enhanced intervention group demonstrated significant KAP gains (knowledge 10 - 30: +1.19, p<0.001; attitude 10 - 30: +1.29, p<0.001; practice 10 - 50: +2.55, p<0.001; total 30 - 110: +5.03, p<0.001) compared to minimal intervention group changes. Participants belonging to lower socioeconomic strata had greater improvements. Discussion: Educational interventions significantly enhance food safety practices among Anganwadi staff. Regular training and consideration of mandatory vaccinations are recommended to sustain improvements.
MD et al. (Thu,) studied this question.