Impacts of the Pandemic, Animal Source Food Retailers’ and Consumers’ Knowledge and Attitudes toward Covid-19, and Their Food Safety Practices in Chiang Mai, Thailand

Bibliographic Data

ID15463155
AuthorsChalita Jainonthee (0000-0002-9376-3298, Chiang Mai University), Sinh Dang-Xuan (0000-0002-0522-7808, National Institute of Veterinary Research), Hung Nguyen‐Viet (0000-0003-1549-2733, National Institute of Veterinary Research), Fred Unger (0009-0009-2423-8914, National Institute of Veterinary Research), Warangkhana Chaisowwong (0000-0002-9609-1087, Chiang Mai University, corresponding author)
Year2022
Volume19
Issue16
Pages10187-10187
Publication date2022-08-17
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueInternational Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1661-7827 • E-ISSN: 1660-4601
PublisherMultidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (PUBLISHER • CH)
DOI10.3390/ijerph191610187
PMID36011819
OpenAlexW4292263534
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited42

The COVID-19 pandemic affected the food supply chain, retailers, and consumers owing to infection awareness. This study evaluated the impacts COVID-19 on ASF retailers' businesses and consumers' livelihoods, as well as their knowledge toward the disease, attitudes, and food safety practices to prevent infections. The study includes a cross-sectional component that was conducted in urban/peri-urban (U/PU) and rural areas in Chiang Mai province. In another part of the study, a structured questionnaire was developed for animal source food (ASF) retailers and consumers, with three primary parts for data analysis: general information, COVID-19 impacts, and knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) assessment. Data corresponding to three periods of interest (before the COVID-19 outbreak, during partial lockdown, and present) were gathered and analyzed. In this study, 155 retailers and 150 consumers participated, of which the majority of the respondents were female (70.3% and 82.7%, respectively) with average ages of 47.4 and 44.9 years, respectively. The most noticeable effect of COVID-19 was a decline in income for retailers and consumers. The KAP scores of consumers in both areas were not significantly different, whereas the retailer attitudes toward COVID-19 prevention and food safety practices scored more highly in rural areas than in U/PU. During the partial lockdown, food safety practices significantly improved relative to the time preceding the outbreak, and these practices have remained constant to the present day. The results revealed that gender, age group, business type, and type of ASF retailers were associated with the KAP of the retailers, whereas gender, age group, education, number of family members, and occupation were associated with the KAP of the consumers. Our findings provide in-depth information about the effects of COVID-19 on ASF retailers and consumers, as well as their KAP regarding the outbreak and food safety, which may serve as support in developing policies for improved health and food safety

Agriculture · Business · Chiang mai · Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19 · Disease · Economics · Environmental health · Food safety · Geography · Livelihood · Outbreak · Pandemic · Socioeconomics · COVID-19 Pandemic Impacts · Food Safety and Hygiene · Medicine · SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 Research · Marketing

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