Food consumption patterns, home food safety practices and gastrointestinal health in a Canadian community

This thesis investigated the food consumption patterns in the Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada, using a cross-sectional telephone survey of 2,332 randomly selected residents conducted between November 2005 and March 2006. Respondents reported preparing and consuming the majority of their meals at home. High-risk food consumption increased with increasing total household income level. Males were more likely to engage in risky practices than females. Specific high-risk behaviours of public health concern were reported by elderly individuals (e.g. consuming undercooked eggs), children (e.g. consuming chicken nuggets) and rural residents (e.g. drinking unpasteurized milk). Respondents appeared to know, but not implement, proper food safety practices. Practices significantly associated with gastroenteritis included thawing meat in water (OR=1.81), relying on experience to determine readiness of cooked meat (OR=3.31), and knowing the correct recommended refrigerator temperature (OR=1.65). These findings identify specific audiences to which food safety interventions should be targeted.