45B-3 |
Development of a computer-based food safety educational tool |
B. H. INGHAM, Dept. of Food Science, Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison, 1605 Linden Dr., 115 Babcock Hall, Madison, WI 53706-1519 Safe handling of food at home is important in decreasing the risk of foodborne illness, and this can be especially important for low-income households. But consumers often lack the basic skills and knowledge of how to handle, prepare and store food safely. The University of Wisconsin-Madison, in collaboration with extension colleagues in Wisconsin, New York and Louisiana, and tribal educators in Wisconsin, developed and piloted computer-based food safety lessons. Two hundred low-income families who were enrolled in Expanded Food Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP), home health education, or nutrition education programs received food safety lessons in their home as part of the project. Through a computer-based self-assessment tool, participants responded to 20 behavior statements that targeted food safety behaviors related to five topic areas: Clean, Chill, Cook, Separate, and Store. A 10-question post-test administered 6 weeks after the food safety lessons was used to evaluate behavior change in each of the content areas. Results of this study were: · Behavior change was significant in all areas. · Participants learned to properly cook (49% increase), thaw (34%) and reheat (19%) foods. A significant number of participants made gains in storing hot leftovers in shallow containers for quick cooling (38%). · Participants learned to avoid cross-contamination, to refrigerate foods promptly, to store food away from chemicals, and to wash hands and surfaces often. · In addition to content education, the computer-based tool exposed low-income audiences to computers. Nearly 30% of individuals thought using the computer was the best part of the lessons. · The computer-based tool also engaged youth in learning with their parents and, in some cases, the learning extended to friends and neighbors interested in learning with technology. Overall, a computer-based educational tool has been developed that is effective at teaching food safety in a home-visitation environment.
Session 45B, Extension & Outreach: General
|