Food safety practices and associated factors among street food vendors in southwest Ethiopia: A community-based cross-sectional study

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Conversely, they are the major source of foodborne diseases in developing countries. Nevertheless, the consideration given to street-vended foods in Ethiopia is negligible. Therefore, this study aimed to explicate the food safety practices and associated factors among street food vendors in southwest Ethiopia. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among street food vendors from February to June 2023. Epi Data and SPSS software were used for data entry and statistical analysis, respectively. A total of 384 street food vendors participated in the study. The participants' mean age was 29.8 (SD: ±10.3), and nearly two-thirds of the study participants were female. The overall level of good food safety practices was 38.3% (CI: 32.7, 45.6), indicating 62 out of 100 street food vendors had poor food safety practices. Gender, hand washing, money handling, and utensil cleaning were factors significantly associated with good food safety practices. Formal registration, licensing, and policy legislation describing the minimum criteria to be fulfilled by street food vendors are mandatory. Training and education should be given with a prominent consideration of male street food vendors. A regular inspection should also be done for environmental, sanitary, and hygienic conditions. Health sciences/Diseases Health sciences/Medical research Food safety practices street-vended foods street food vendors Southwest Ethiopia associated factors Figures Figure 1 Introduction A street-vended food is either cooked or raw, but prepared and ready-to-eat food or beverage, which is sold at the roadside, the market, or public places, and is consumed directly without further cooking 1 . It is an emerging business associated with urbanization, especially in developing countries 2 . Globally, about 2.5 billion people consume street-vended foods every day 3 . Street-vended foods have socio-economic importance in reflecting local culinary traditions, providing accessible and affordable sustenance, and acting as a vibrant social hub, contributing significantly to the urban landscape and cultural identity 4 , 5 . Evidence also showed that street-vended foods have a significant role in maintaining the nutritional needs of the population 6 . In contrast to its importance, street-vended foods are also related to public health problems because of their vulnerability to contamination 7 , due to poor hygienic practices among street food vendors commonly seen in developing countries 8 , 9 . Evidence from Asia indicated that street food vendors operate under unhygienic conditions as a result of poor food safety knowledge, attitude, and practices 8 , 10 . In Africa, various studies have also witnessed that street food vendors have inadequate food safety knowledge and are exercising poor food safety practices 11 – 13 . The collective factors, including low awareness of good food handling, low level of education, and absence of potable water, are the major determinants contributing to poor food safety practices in developing countries 14 . The collateral presence of high consumption of street foods and poor hygienic practices of street food vendors, as seen in developing countries, may contribute to microbial hazards, environmental pollution, and chemical contamination, in turn leading to potentially high incidence of food-borne diseases, either food infection or food intoxication 3 , 7 . Almost one in ten people worldwide fall ill after eating contaminated foods (including street-vended foods), and nearly half a million die every year, of which about 40% of the burden is among under-five children 15 . Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella typhi, Shigella dysenteriae, and Klebsiella pneumoniae are some of the most common foodborne pathogens isolated from street-vended foods in developing countries, witnessing the contribution of street-vended foods in causing foodborne disease 7 , 14 . On the other hand, street-vended foods have a noticeable contribution to spreading antimicrobial resistance. Evidence showed that significant antimicrobial-resistant bacteria have been isolated from street-vended foods in developing countries, including the isolation of multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus , Escherichia coli, and Salmonella species 7 , 14 . In Ethiopia, even though the actual number of street food vendors is unknown, the urban expansion is making street food vending an emerging business of the informal sector. Unlike the popularity of street-vended foods, the hygienic and sanitary practices of the street food vendors are significantly low, with the sanitary practices as poor as 6.8% in Ethiopia 16 . The poor food safety practices among street food vendors seen in the country are associated with poor waste disposal, absence of medical check-ups, low monthly income, low access to onsite water supply, age group less than 25, low level of education, poor hand washing habit, and gender 17 – 19 . Irrespective of the significant burden of food-borne diseases caused by consuming street-vended foods, less consideration has been given to the food safety practices of street food vendors in Ethiopia. The absence of formal registration of street food vendors, lack of licensing, and regular inspection of street food vendors in the country may worsen the public health problem, posing a risk of foodborne diseases to the community. A better understanding and elucidation of the health problem and its determinants contribute to the alleviation of the problem in the population. Therefore, this study aimed to explicate the food safety practices and associated factors among street food vendors in southwest Ethiopia to contribute to the reduction of the burden of foodborne illnesses, the transmission of antimicrobial resistance, and related health problems. Materials and Methods Study setting and study design A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from February to June 2023 in the Ilu Ababor and Buno Bedelle zones, in southwest Ethiopia. The geographic area of the two zones is approximately 15,000 square kilometers, harboring nearly 280,000 households. An estimated total population of 2.3 million people resides in the study area, of whom about 50.4% are males. There are two major towns in both zones, the Mettu town and the Bedelle town, both serving as administrative towns for both zones. The street-vended food is one of the popular businesses in the towns. However, there is no formal registration and licensing of street food vendors, and no regular environmental, sanitary, and hygienic inspections among street food vendors. The actual number of street food vendors participating in the business is also unknown. Study population All randomly selected street food vendors available during the study period and who were 18 years old and above, have participated in the study. Sample size and sampling technique The sample size was calculated using the single population proportion formula, assuming a 50% population proportion of good hygienic practices in the study area, a 95 % confidence Interval (CI), 5% margin of error. The minimum sample size was 384. Considering a 5% non-response rate, the final sample size was 403. The study participants were randomly selected using computer-assisted randomization after registering all available street food vendors in both towns. A total of 1006 street food vendors were registered in both towns for this study, of which 403 individuals were selected randomly. Data collection procedures and quality control A face-to-face interview was conducted using a pre-tested structured questionnaire adapted from previous studies, which contains questions related to socio-demographic, behavioral, and food safety practices, with the involvement of twelve trained health professionals. Data processing and statistical analysis After appropriate cleaning and coding, data entry was done using Epi Data version 3.1 and then exported to IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, version 25 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA). Descriptive statistics were computed to determine the food safety practices of street food vendors and the frequencies of other variables. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were computed to identify the possible factors associated with food safety practices among street food vendors and indicated by the odds ratio (OR) at a 95% confidence interval (CI). A p-value of ≤ 0.05 was considered indicative of a statistically significant association. The variance inflation factor and Hosmer and Lemeshow goodness of fit were checked for multi-collinearity and selection of the optimal model, respectively. Operational definition Good food safety practices : Street food vendors who scored food safety practices above the mean score out of 16 food safety practices-related questions. Poor food safety practices : Street food vendors who scored food safety practices below the mean score out of 16 food safety practices-related questions. Results Socio-demographic characteristics of study participants A total of 403 street food vendors were enrolled, of whom 384 street food vendors participated in the study, making a response rate of 95%. The participants' mean age was 29.8 (SD: ±10.3), with more than one-third (38%) of study participants aged 35–44. Nearly two-thirds of the participants were female, and about half of the study participants were single in marital status. Three-fourths of the study participants had either no formal education or had primary education. Most of the study participants' average monthly income ranged from 501 to 1000 Ethiopian Birr (ETB) ( Table 1 ). Table 1 The Socio-demographic characteristics of street food vendors in southwest Ethiopia (N = 384) Variables Categories Frequency (N) Percentage (%) Age (in years) 18–24 73 19.0 25–34 101 26.3 35–44 146 38.0 ≥ 45 64 16.7 Gender Male 125 32.6 Female 259 67.4 Marital status Single 196 51 Married 131 34.1 Divorced 40 10.5 Widowed 17 4.4 Educational status No formal education 116 30.2 1–8 179 46.6 9–12 81 21.1 Diploma and above 8 2.1 Occupation Unemployed 246 64.1 Housewife 28 7.3 Student 92 23.9 Others* 18 4.7 Monthly income (in ETB) ≤ 500 109 28.4 501–1000 126 32.8 1001–2000 63 16.4 2001–3000 70 18.2 ≥ 3001 16 4.2 Notes : *Cleaners, daily laborers, and self-employed Abbreviations: N, Number; ETB, Ethiopian Birr Food safety practices of street food vendors Only seven (1.8 %) study participants had undergone medical checkups at least once since starting to work as a street food vendor. About half of the participants in the study (50.3%) were handling money while handling food. Nearly one-third of the study participants (31%) handled food items without washing their hands. The majority of the study participants (68%) do not use new plastic bags for packing food items while selling . Only about 11% of the study participants were using clean tap water and detergent for cleaning utensils (Table 2). Table 2 : Food handling practices of street food vendors in southwest Ethiopia (N=384) Variables Categories N (%) Undergoing medical checkups (at least once since starting the job) Yes 7 (1.8) No 377 (92.8) Using fresh running water for preparation Yes 231 (60.2) No 153 (39.8) Hand washing before handling food items Yes 265 (69.0) No 119 (31.0) Hand washing after handling food Yes 189 (49.2) No 195 (50.8) Wearing an apron for food preparation Yes 125 (32.6) No 259 (67.4) Covering hair while handling food Yes 152 (39.6) No 232 (60.4) Handling money while handling food items Yes 193 (50.3) No 191 (49.7) Using the refrigerator for the storage of leftover food Yes 29 (7.6) No 355 (92.4) Using running tap water and detergent for cleaning utensils Yes 43 (11.2) No 341 (88.2) Usage of a new plastic bag for packing food items while selling Yes 123 (32.0) No 261 (68.0) Using a waste bin as a waste disposal system at working sites Yes 212 (55.2) No 172 (44.8) Presence paste control method Yes 19 (4.9) No 365 (95.1) Availability of a hand-washing area at the site Yes 92 (24.0) No 292 (76.0) Frequent cleaning of food preparation sites Yes 232 (60.4) No 152 (39.6) Not preparing food while getting ill Yes 134 (34.9) No 250 (65.1) Hand washing after toilet Yes 223 (58.1) No 161 (41.9) Abbreviations: N, Number Level of food safety practices among street food vendors The mean score of food safety practices among street food vendors was 10.11 out of 16 food safety practices-related questions. The overall level of good food safety practices among the study participants was 38.3% (CI: 32.7, 45.6), meaning nearly two-thirds of street food vendors had a poor level of food safety practices. Good food safety practices were more commonly observed among female study participants than male study participants. On the other hand, a better level of education led to better food safety practices among street food vendors (Figure 1). Factors associated with good food safety practices among street food vendors The bivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that gender, level of education, undergoing medical checkups (at least once since starting the job), hand washing before handling food items, using running tap water and detergent for cleaning utensils, handling money while handling food items, usage of a new plastic bag for packing food items while selling, presence of paste control method at the site, and availability of running water at the site were the candidate variables with p-values of ≤0.25. In multivariable logistic regression analysis, being female, hand washing before handling food items, not handling money while handling food items, and using running tap water and detergent for cleaning utensils were factors significantly associated with good food safety practices of street food vendors. Accordingly, female street food vendors were 2.15 times more likely to exercise good food safety practices than their counterparts were [AOR: 2.15, 95%CI: (1.23, 3.79)]. The odds of exercising good food safety practices among street food vendors who were washing their hands before handling food items were 3.91 times higher than the street food vendors who did not wash their hands before handling food items [AOR: 3.91, 95%CI: (1.63, 7.04)]. Similarly, street food vendors who did not handle money while handling food items were 2.63 times more likely to exercise good food safety practices than those handling money while handling food items [AOR: 2.63, 95%CI: (1.72, 4.13)]. In addition, the odds of exercising good food safety practices among street food vendors who were using running tap water and detergents for cleaning utensils was 2.1 times higher than those who did not use running tap water and detergents for cleaning utensils [AOR: 2.10, 95%CI: (1.04, 4.13)] (Table 3). Table 3 : Multivariable logistic regression analysis of factors associated with good food safety practices among street food vendors in southwest Ethiopia Variables Categories Food safety practices COR (95%CI) AOR (95%CI) Good (N, %) Poor (N, %) Gender Male 49 (39.2) 76 (60.8) 1 1 Female 135 (52.1) 124 (47.9) 1.69 (1.09, 2.60) 2.15 (1.23, 3.79)* Level of education No formal education 51 (44) 65 (56) 1 1 Formal education 143 (53.4) 125 (46.6) 1.46 (0.94, 2.25) 2.5 (0.40, 4.39) Undergone a medical checkup No 166 (44) 211 (56) 1 1 Yes 5 (71.4) 2 (28.6) 3.18 (0.60, 16.6) Hand washing before handling food items No 23 (19.3) 96 (80.7) 1 1 Yes 141 (53.2) 124 (46.8) 4.75 (2.84, 7.94) 3.91 (1.63, 7.04)* Handling money while handling food items Yes 57 (29.5) 136 (70.5) 1 1 No 109 (57.1) 82 (42.9) 3.17 (2.08, 4.83) 2.63 (1.72, 4.13)* Using running tap water and detergents for cleaning No 155 (45.5) 186 (54.5) 1 1 Yes 29 (67.4) 14 (32.6) 2.49 (1.27, 4.87) 2.10 (1.04, 4.13)* Using a new plastic bag while selling food No 143 (54.8) 118 (45.2) 1 1 Yes 71 (57.8) 52 (42.2) 1.13 (0.73, 1.74) 1.64 (0.99, 3.15) Presence of paste control No 182 (62.3) 110 (37.7) 1 1 Yes 11 (57.9) 8 (42.1) 0.83 (0.32, 2.13) 1.23 (0.72, 2.59) Availability of a hand-washing area at the site No 134 (45.9) 158 (54.1) 1 1 Yes 43 (46.7) 49 (53.3) 1.03 (0.65, 1.66) 1.67 (0.96, 3.24) Notes: *p≤0.05; 1, reference category; Numbers in bold font represent variables significantly associated with food safety practices among street food vendors Abbreviations: N, Number; COR, Crude Odds Ratio; AOR, Adjusted Odds Ratio Discussion The contribution of street foods in causing foodborne diseases and transmitting antimicrobial resistance is no less than its economic and social importance. Street food vendors have a lion’s share in maintaining the safety of street foods, which contributes to the reduction of foodborne diseases and the transmission of antimicrobial resistance. This study has elucidated the food safety practices and associated factors among street food vendors in southwest Ethiopia. Accordingly, nearly two-thirds of street food vendors are exercising poor food safety practices, with a proportion of good food safety practices of 38.3% (CI: 31.1, 45.6). This finding is in line with the findings of a study conducted in the northwest parts of the country, where about 36% of street food vendors had good food safety practices. However, our study revealed that a significantly lower proportion of street food vendors had good food safety practices than the findings of the study conducted in West Africa, Ghana, in which about 62.9% of street food vendors had a good level of food safety practices 20 . Likewise, the finding of our study notably indicates a lesser good food safety practices than the findings of the study conducted in Nigeria, where the adequate hygiene and sanitary practices of street vendors ranged from 90-92% 21,22 . Evidence from the northern regions of the country also showed a higher proportion of good food safety practices (49.1%) 23 . The low level of food safety practices seen in our study might be due to variations in the accessibility of water at the site, variations in age, gender distribution, and educational status of the study participants. On the other hand, the low medical checkups and low level of educational status observed among the study participants might be the cause for the lower proportion of good food safety practices registered in this study. Furthermore, there is neither inspection of street food vendors on food safety practices nor food safety practices-related training given to street food vendors in the study area. The lack of formal registration and licensing of street food vendors and the absence of regular environmental, sanitary, and hygienic inspections among street food vendors indicate the insufficient consideration given to the street-vended foods and street food vendors in southwest Ethiopia, posing a public health problem to the community. In contrast, the proportion of good food safety practices of street food vendors in our study was higher than the study conducted in India, where 33.5% of vendors had good hygienic practices of food handling 24 . The other study conducted in other parts of India also indicated that the good food safety practices were 19.1%, which is significantly lower than the finding of our study 25 . The study conducted in South Africa also showed that the street food vending sites had a lower (14%) compliance with sanitary conditions as compared to the findings of our study 26 . The variations in the level of good food safety practices could be due to variations in the knowledge, attitude, and educational status of the study participants. Our study was conducted among adult street food vendors, who might have an improved understanding of food safety practices and a better level of education as compared to children and adolescents working as street food vendors and who participated in the above-mentioned studies. Moreover, the high proportion of female-to-male ratio seen in our study may contribute to better food safety practices as compared to the above studies, considering the evidence of better food safety practices among females than males 19 . This study has revealed that female street food vendors were 2.15 times more likely to exercise good food safety practices than their counterparts. This finding is consistent with the findings of other studies conducted in the northern part of the country 19 . This can be due to the evidence indicating that females have better knowledge of food safety practices than male street food vendors, as supported by different studies 13,27 . Additionally, the traditional gender roles and greater experience with food preparation at home in Ethiopia might lead females to have good food safety practices. However, the finding of this study is inconsistent with the study conducted in other regions of the country, where male street food vendors were more likely to exercise good food safety practices than female street food vendors 28 . This can be due to variation in the socio-demographic characteristics of the study participants. This study also elaborated that the odds of exercising good food safety practices among street food vendors who washed their hands before handling food items were higher than those who did not wash their hands before handling food items. This finding is in line with the findings of the study conducted in other developing countries 29 . The possible reason is due to the fact that hand washing is an essential and inexpensive practice that significantly reduces the risk of foodborne illnesses by removing pathogens and preventing cross-contamination, and consistent and proper hand washing is a fundamental component of any effective food safety program. Similarly, street food vendors who did not handle money while handling food items were more likely to exercise good food safety practices than those who handled money while handling food items. The findings of this study are consistent with the findings of other studies 30,31 . The potential for cross-contamination strongly supports the idea that street food vendors who separate money handling from food handling are more likely to exercise good food safety practices. In addition, it has been revealed by this study that the odds of exercising good food safety practices among street food vendors who were using running tap water and detergents for cleaning utensils were higher than those who did not use running tap water and detergents for cleaning utensils. This finding was in line with the findings of the study conducted in other developing country 32 . This is because of the reason that utensils that are exposed to food can easily become contaminated with bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens. In successive utilization, improperly cleaned utensils can then transfer the pathogens to other food items, leading to cross-contamination and foodborne illnesses. Running water helps to physically remove dirt, debris, and loose microorganisms from utensils, and detergents (soaps) help to lift grease, oils, and tightly adhered microorganisms that water alone cannot easily dislodge by disrupting the cell membranes of bacteria and viruses, inactivating them. Limitations of the study This study has a limitation as it couldn’t assess the knowledge and attitude of street food vendors because of the scarcity of resources for conducting the study. It couldn’t further identify the possible determinants of food safety practices among street food vendors because of the nature of the study design. Conclusion and recommendation This study aimed to explicate the food safety practices and associated factors among street food vendors in Southwest Ethiopia, where street food vending has become a popular informal business. Hence, the study has revealed that a significantly high 62 out of 100 street food vendors had poor food safety practices. As foodborne illnesses are common in Ethiopia, the finding of this study implies the high probability of street foods as a source of foodborne illnesses. Female street food vendors had better food safety practices than males. Hand washing before handling food items, handling money while handling food, and washing utensils using tap water and detergents were factors significantly associated with food safety practices among street food vendors. Though street food vending is important for both vendors and consumers, in serving as a means of income and providing nutritional needs, the formal registration and licensing of street food vendors is mandatory. The policy describing the minimum criteria to be fulfilled by street food vendors, including medical checkups and sanitary and hygienic conditions, should also be legislated. Training and education on food safety practices should be given to street food vendors, with a prominent consideration of male street food vendors. Moreover, a regular inspection of street food vendors for environmental, sanitary, and hygienic conditions should also be done. Declarations Competing Interest The authors declare no competing interests in this work Ethical consideration Ethical clearance was obtained from the Mattu University’s College of Health Sciences Ethical Review Committee (CHS-ERC) with a Ref. No: RPG/134. The CHS-ERC has also approved the study protocol, and it was conducted according to the Declaration of Helsinki. Street food vendors were provided with overviews of the study, the harms, and the benefits of participating in this study. All participants were provided informed consent during the study. Funding Statement The authors declare that no financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. Author Contribution Y.N.: Formal analysis, Methodology, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing, Supervision. W.G.: Investigation, Methodology, Writing – original draft, Supervision. M.W.: Writing – review & editing, Formal analysis, Investigation, Data Curation, Methodology. Acknowledgement We would like to thank the Office of the Research Affairs Directorate of Mattu University for their technical assistance in this work. Our gratitude should also extend to study participants and data collectors for their involvement in this study. Data Availability The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request. References World Health Organization. Essential safety requirements for street-vended foods. (2000). Maroko, R. A. Dynamics of Cooked Food Vending in Kayole Location, Nairobi County, Kenya , Kenyatta University, (2016). Sezgin, A. C. & Şanlıer, N. Street food consumption in terms of food safety and health. Journal of Human Sciences 13 , 4072-4083 (2016). Chukwurah, G. O. et al. Cultural Influence of Local Food Heritage on Sustainable Development. World 6 , 10 (2025). Svensdotter, A., Guaralda, M. & Mayere, S. Street food and placemaking: A cultural review of urban practices. 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Journal of Gandaki Medical College-Nepal 14 , 127-132 (2021). Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-6502116","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":477754550,"identity":"77e3e695-00f9-4e7b-8db5-11edde30a20b","order_by":0,"name":"Yared Nigusu","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA7ElEQVRIiWNgGAWjYLACHgYJEMX4AMTmI0ULswGIzUakFjBgA2skqMXg+NmHD97usLDbcP6MWeXXHDsZNgbmh49u4NNyJt3YcO4ZieQNN3LMbstuSwY6jM3YOAeflgNpbNK8bRLJBjd4zG5LbmMGauFhk8ar5fwz9t9gLUCHFUtuqydCy400NmagFjuDAzlmjB+3HSasRfLGM2bJuW0SCZI30oqlGbcd52FjJuAXvvNpjB/ettXZ850/vPHjz23V9vzszQ8f49OicABCJzYACWZwBDHjUQ4C8g0Q2h5EMP4goHoUjIJRMApGJgAAmbBFc5NrD+sAAAAASUVORK5CYII=","orcid":"","institution":"Armauer Hansen Research Institute","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Yared","middleName":"","lastName":"Nigusu","suffix":""},{"id":477754551,"identity":"c63ede8d-e8c5-45e2-8ad7-b9ee8c653d97","order_by":1,"name":"Wubishet Gezimu","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Mettu University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Wubishet","middleName":"","lastName":"Gezimu","suffix":""},{"id":477754552,"identity":"e7ea4bac-dd1f-43e2-a8ab-9f42cf721a90","order_by":2,"name":"Melese Werkneh","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Mettu University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Melese","middleName":"","lastName":"Werkneh","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2025-04-22 08:38:18","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6502116/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-6502116/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":85834310,"identity":"897bf0a8-8a1e-4528-8c31-8cb1102d7fca","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-07-02 08:10:30","extension":"jpg","order_by":1,"title":"Figure 1","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":39256,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eLevel of food safety practice among street food vendors in Southwest Ethiopia.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"1.jpg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6502116/v1/64c99b70e5773c488de72b91.jpg"},{"id":92547395,"identity":"96f053f9-73a9-4ecd-8d13-655bde75f732","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-09-30 21:16:32","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":1541773,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6502116/v1/097b2f24-6bd0-4206-896a-b0f1231894ca.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Food safety practices and associated factors among street food vendors in southwest Ethiopia: A community-based cross-sectional study","fulltext":[{"header":"Introduction","content":"\u003cp\u003eA street-vended food is either cooked or raw, but prepared and ready-to-eat food or beverage, which is sold at the roadside, the market, or public places, and is consumed directly without further cooking\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. It is an emerging business associated with urbanization, especially in developing countries\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. Globally, about 2.5\u0026nbsp;billion people consume street-vended foods every day\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. Street-vended foods have socio-economic importance in reflecting local culinary traditions, providing accessible and affordable sustenance, and acting as a vibrant social hub, contributing significantly to the urban landscape and cultural identity\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e,\u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. Evidence also showed that street-vended foods have a significant role in maintaining the nutritional needs of the population\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR6\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e6\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn contrast to its importance, street-vended foods are also related to public health problems because of their vulnerability to contamination\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR7\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e7\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e, due to poor hygienic practices among street food vendors commonly seen in developing countries\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR8\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e8\u003c/span\u003e,\u003cspan citationid=\"CR9\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e9\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. Evidence from Asia indicated that street food vendors operate under unhygienic conditions as a result of poor food safety knowledge, attitude, and practices\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR8\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e8\u003c/span\u003e,\u003cspan citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e10\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. In Africa, various studies have also witnessed that street food vendors have inadequate food safety knowledge and are exercising poor food safety practices\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR12\" citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e11\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e13\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. The collective factors, including low awareness of good food handling, low level of education, and absence of potable water, are the major determinants contributing to poor food safety practices in developing countries\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e14\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe collateral presence of high consumption of street foods and poor hygienic practices of street food vendors, as seen in developing countries, may contribute to microbial hazards, environmental pollution, and chemical contamination, in turn leading to potentially high incidence of food-borne diseases, either food infection or food intoxication\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e,\u003cspan citationid=\"CR7\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e7\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. Almost one in ten people worldwide fall ill after eating contaminated foods (including street-vended foods), and nearly half a million die every year, of which about 40% of the burden is among under-five children\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR15\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e15\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. \u003cem\u003eStaphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella typhi, Shigella dysenteriae, and Klebsiella pneumoniae\u003c/em\u003e are some of the most common foodborne pathogens isolated from street-vended foods in developing countries, witnessing the contribution of street-vended foods in causing foodborne disease \u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR7\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e7\u003c/span\u003e,\u003cspan citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e14\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eOn the other hand, street-vended foods have a noticeable contribution to spreading antimicrobial resistance. Evidence showed that significant antimicrobial-resistant bacteria have been isolated from street-vended foods in developing countries, including the isolation of multidrug-resistant \u003cem\u003eStaphylococcus aureus\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eEscherichia coli, and Salmonella species\u003c/em\u003e \u003csup\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR7\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e7\u003c/span\u003e,\u003cspan citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e14\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn Ethiopia, even though the actual number of street food vendors is unknown, the urban expansion is making street food vending an emerging business of the informal sector. Unlike the popularity of street-vended foods, the hygienic and sanitary practices of the street food vendors are significantly low, with the sanitary practices as poor as 6.8% in Ethiopia \u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR16\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e16\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe poor food safety practices among street food vendors seen in the country are associated with poor waste disposal, absence of medical check-ups, low monthly income, low access to onsite water supply, age group less than 25, low level of education, poor hand washing habit, and gender \u003csup\u003e\u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR18\" citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e17\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR19\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e19\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIrrespective of the significant burden of food-borne diseases caused by consuming street-vended foods, less consideration has been given to the food safety practices of street food vendors in Ethiopia. The absence of formal registration of street food vendors, lack of licensing, and regular inspection of street food vendors in the country may worsen the public health problem, posing a risk of foodborne diseases to the community. A better understanding and elucidation of the health problem and its determinants contribute to the alleviation of the problem in the population. Therefore, this study aimed to explicate the food safety practices and associated factors among street food vendors in southwest Ethiopia to contribute to the reduction of the burden of foodborne illnesses, the transmission of antimicrobial resistance, and related health problems.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Materials and Methods","content":"\u003ch2\u003eStudy setting and study design\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from February to June 2023 in the Ilu Ababor and Buno Bedelle zones, in southwest Ethiopia. The geographic area of the two zones is approximately 15,000 square kilometers, harboring nearly 280,000 households. An estimated total population of 2.3 million people resides in the study area, of whom about 50.4% are males. There are two major towns in both zones, the Mettu town and the Bedelle town, both serving as administrative towns for both zones. The street-vended food is one of the popular businesses in the towns. However, there is no formal registration and licensing of street food vendors, and no regular environmental, sanitary, and hygienic inspections among street food vendors. The actual number of street food vendors participating in the business is also unknown.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eStudy population\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll randomly selected street food vendors available during the study period and who were 18 years old and above, have participated in the study.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"_Toc85789860\"\u003eSample size and sampling technique\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe sample size was calculated using the single population proportion formula, assuming a 50% population proportion of good hygienic practices in the study area, a 95 % confidence Interval (CI), 5% margin of error. The minimum sample size was 384. Considering a 5% non-response rate, the final sample size was 403. The study participants were randomly selected using computer-assisted randomization after registering all available street food vendors in both towns. A total of 1006 street food vendors were registered in both towns for this study, of which 403 individuals were selected randomly.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"_Toc85789866\"\u003eData collection procedures and quality control\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA face-to-face interview was conducted using a pre-tested structured questionnaire adapted from previous studies, which contains questions related to socio-demographic, behavioral, and food safety practices, with the involvement of twelve trained health professionals. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eData processing and statistical analysis\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAfter appropriate cleaning and coding, data entry was done using Epi Data version 3.1 and then exported to IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, version 25 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA). Descriptive statistics were computed to determine the food safety practices of street food vendors and the frequencies of other variables. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were computed to identify the possible factors associated with food safety practices among street food vendors and indicated by the odds ratio (OR) at a 95% confidence interval (CI). A p-value of ≤ 0.05 was considered indicative of a statistically significant association. The variance inflation factor and Hosmer and Lemeshow goodness of fit were checked for multi-collinearity and selection of the optimal model, respectively.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eOperational definition\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGood food safety practices\u003c/strong\u003e: Street food vendors who scored food safety practices above the mean score out of 16 food safety practices-related questions.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePoor food safety practices\u003c/strong\u003e: Street food vendors who scored food safety practices below the mean score out of 16 food safety practices-related questions.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Results","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec10\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eSocio-demographic characteristics of study participants\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eA total of 403 street food vendors were enrolled, of whom 384 street food vendors participated in the study, making a response rate of 95%. The participants' mean age was 29.8 (SD: \u0026plusmn;10.3), with more than one-third (38%) of study participants aged 35\u0026ndash;44. Nearly two-thirds of the participants were female, and about half of the study participants were single in marital status. Three-fourths of the study participants had either no formal education or had primary education. Most of the study participants' average monthly income ranged from 501 to 1000 Ethiopian Birr (ETB) \u003cb\u003e(\u003c/b\u003eTable\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e\u003cb\u003e).\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab1\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 1\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe Socio-demographic characteristics of street food vendors in southwest Ethiopia (N\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;384)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"4\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eVariables\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCategories\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFrequency (N)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePercentage (%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"3\" rowspan=\"4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAge (in years)\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e18\u0026ndash;24\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e73\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e19.0\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e25\u0026ndash;34\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e101\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e26.3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e35\u0026ndash;44\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e146\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e38.0\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026ge;\u0026thinsp;45\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e64\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e16.7\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eGender\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMale\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e125\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e32.6\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFemale\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e259\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e67.4\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"3\" rowspan=\"4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eMarital status\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSingle\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e196\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e51\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMarried\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e131\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e34.1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDivorced\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e40\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e10.5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eWidowed\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e17\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.4\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"3\" rowspan=\"4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eEducational status\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo formal education\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e116\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e30.2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u0026ndash;8\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e179\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e46.6\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e9\u0026ndash;12\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e81\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e21.1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDiploma and above\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"3\" rowspan=\"4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eOccupation\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eUnemployed\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e246\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e64.1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHousewife\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e28\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e7.3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eStudent\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e92\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e23.9\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eOthers*\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e18\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.7\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"4\" rowspan=\"5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eMonthly income (in ETB)\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026le;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;500\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e109\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e28.4\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e501\u0026ndash;1000\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e126\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e32.8\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1001\u0026ndash;2000\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e63\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e16.4\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2001\u0026ndash;3000\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e70\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e18.2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026ge;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;3001\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e16\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003ctfoot\u003e \u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd colspan=\"4\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eNotes\u003c/b\u003e: \u003cem\u003e*Cleaners, daily laborers, and self-employed\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tfoot\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eAbbreviations:\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026nbsp;N, Number; ETB, Ethiopian Birr\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eFood safety practices of street food vendors\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp id=\"_Toc86036124\"\u003eOnly seven (1.8 %) study participants had undergone medical checkups at least once since starting to work as a street food vendor. About half of the participants in the study (50.3%) were handling money while handling food. Nearly one-third of the study participants (31%) handled food items without washing their hands.\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003eThe majority of the study participants (68%)\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003edo not use new plastic bags for packing food items while selling\u003cstrong\u003e.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003eOnly about 11% of the study participants were using clean tap water and detergent for cleaning utensils\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;(Table 2).\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTable\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e:\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003eFood handling practices of street food vendors in southwest Ethiopia (N=384)\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ctable border=\"1\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" width=\"612\"\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 426px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eVariables\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 93px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCategories\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 93px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eN (%)\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd rowspan=\"2\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 426px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eUndergoing medical checkups (at least once since starting the job)\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 93px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 93px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e7 (1.8)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 93px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eNo\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 93px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e377 (92.8)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd rowspan=\"2\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 426px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eUsing fresh running water for preparation\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 93px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 93px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e231 (60.2)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 93px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 93px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e153 (39.8)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd rowspan=\"2\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 426px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHand washing before handling food items\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 93px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 93px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e265 (69.0)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 93px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eNo\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 93px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e119 (31.0)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd rowspan=\"2\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 426px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHand washing after handling food\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 93px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eYes\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 93px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e189 (49.2)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 93px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 93px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e195 (50.8)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd rowspan=\"2\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 426px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWearing an apron for food preparation\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 93px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 93px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e125 (32.6)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 93px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 93px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e259 (67.4)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd rowspan=\"2\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 426px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCovering hair while handling food\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 93px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 93px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e152 (39.6)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 93px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 93px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e232 (60.4)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd rowspan=\"2\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 426px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHandling money while handling food items\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 93px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 93px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e193 (50.3)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 93px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 93px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e191 (49.7)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd rowspan=\"2\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 426px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eUsing the refrigerator for the storage of leftover food\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 93px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 93px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e29 (7.6)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 93px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 93px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e355 (92.4)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd rowspan=\"2\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 426px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eUsing running tap water and detergent for cleaning utensils\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 93px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 93px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e43 (11.2)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 93px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 93px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e341 (88.2)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd rowspan=\"2\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 426px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eUsage of a new plastic bag for packing food items while selling\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 93px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 93px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e123 (32.0)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 93px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 93px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e261 (68.0)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd rowspan=\"2\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 426px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eUsing a waste bin as a waste disposal system at working sites\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 93px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 93px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e212 (55.2)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 93px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 93px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e172 (44.8)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd rowspan=\"2\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 426px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePresence paste control method\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 93px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eYes\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 93px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e19 (4.9)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 93px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 93px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e365 (95.1)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd rowspan=\"2\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 426px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAvailability of a hand-washing area at the site\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 93px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 93px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e92 (24.0)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 93px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 93px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e292 (76.0)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd rowspan=\"2\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 426px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFrequent cleaning of food preparation sites\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 93px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 93px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e232 (60.4)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 93px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 93px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e152 (39.6)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd rowspan=\"2\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 426px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNot preparing food while getting ill\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 93px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 93px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e134 (34.9)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 93px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 93px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e250 (65.1)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd rowspan=\"2\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 426px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHand washing after toilet\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 93px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 93px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e223 (58.1)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 93px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 93px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e161 (41.9)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n\u003c/table\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbbreviations:\u003c/strong\u003e N, Number\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eLevel of food safety practices among street food vendors\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe mean score of food safety practices among street food vendors was 10.11 out of 16 food safety practices-related questions. The overall level of good food safety practices among the study participants was 38.3% (CI: 32.7, 45.6), meaning nearly two-thirds of street food vendors had a poor level of food safety practices. Good food safety practices were more commonly observed among female study participants than male study participants. On the other hand, a better level of education led to better food safety practices among street food vendors \u003cstrong\u003e(Figure 1).\u003c/strong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eFactors associated with good food safety practices among street food vendors\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe bivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that gender, level of education, undergoing medical checkups (at least once since starting the job), hand washing before handling food items, using running tap water and detergent for cleaning utensils, handling money while handling food items, usage of a new plastic bag for packing food items while selling, presence of paste control method at the site, and availability of running water at the site were the candidate variables with p-values of \u0026le;0.25. In multivariable logistic regression analysis, being female, hand washing before handling food items, not handling money while handling food items, and using running tap water and detergent for cleaning utensils were factors significantly associated with good food safety practices of street food vendors. Accordingly, female street food vendors were 2.15 times more likely to exercise good food safety practices than their counterparts were [AOR: 2.15, 95%CI: (1.23, 3.79)]. The odds of exercising good food safety practices among street food vendors who were washing their hands before handling food items were 3.91 times higher than the street food vendors who did not wash their hands before handling food items [AOR: 3.91, 95%CI: (1.63, 7.04)]. Similarly, street food vendors who did not handle money while handling food items were 2.63 times more likely to exercise good food safety practices than those handling money while handling food items [AOR: 2.63, 95%CI: (1.72, 4.13)]. In addition, the odds of exercising good food safety practices among street food vendors who were using running tap water and detergents for cleaning utensils was 2.1 times higher than those who did not use running tap water and detergents for cleaning utensils [AOR: 2.10, 95%CI: (1.04, 4.13)]\u0026nbsp;\u003cstrong\u003e(Table 3).\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTable 3\u003c/strong\u003e: Multivariable logistic regression analysis of factors associated with good food safety practices among street food vendors in southwest Ethiopia\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ctable border=\"1\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" width=\"631\"\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd rowspan=\"2\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 111px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eVariables\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd rowspan=\"2\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 85px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCategories\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"2\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 189px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFood safety practices\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd rowspan=\"2\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 123px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCOR (95%CI)\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd rowspan=\"2\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 123px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAOR (95%CI)\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 95px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGood (N, %)\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 94px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePoor (N, %)\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd rowspan=\"2\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 111px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGender\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 85px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMale\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 95px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e49 (39.2)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 94px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e76 (60.8)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 123px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 123px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 85px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eFemale\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 95px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e135 (52.1)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 94px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e124 (47.9)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 123px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e1.69 (1.09, 2.60)\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 123px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2.15 (1.23, 3.79)*\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd rowspan=\"2\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 111px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLevel of education\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 85px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eNo formal education\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 95px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e51 (44)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 94px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e65 (56)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 123px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 123px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 85px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eFormal education\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 95px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e143 (53.4)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 94px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e125 (46.6)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 123px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.46 (0.94, 2.25)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 123px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2.5 (0.40, 4.39)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd rowspan=\"2\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 111px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eUndergone a medical checkup\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 85px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 95px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e166\u0026nbsp;(44)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 94px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e211 (56)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 123px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 123px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 85px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eYes\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 95px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e5 (71.4)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 94px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2 (28.6)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 123px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3.18 (0.60, 16.6)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 123px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd rowspan=\"2\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 111px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHand washing before handling food items\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 85px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 95px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e23 (19.3)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 94px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e96 (80.7)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 123px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 123px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 85px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eYes\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 95px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e141 (53.2)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 94px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e124 (46.8)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 123px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e4.75 (2.84, 7.94)\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 123px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e3.91 (1.63, 7.04)*\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd rowspan=\"2\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 111px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHandling money while handling food items\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 85px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eYes\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 95px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e57 (29.5)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 94px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e136 (70.5)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 123px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 123px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 85px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eNo\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 95px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e109 (57.1)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 94px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e82 (42.9)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 123px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e3.17 (2.08, 4.83)\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 123px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2.63 (1.72, 4.13)*\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd rowspan=\"2\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 111px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eUsing running tap water and detergents for cleaning\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 85px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eNo\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 95px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e155 (45.5)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 94px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e186 (54.5)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 123px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 123px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 85px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eYes\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 95px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e29 (67.4)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 94px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e14 (32.6)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 123px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2.49 (1.27, 4.87)\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 123px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2.10 (1.04, 4.13)*\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd rowspan=\"2\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 111px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eUsing a new plastic bag while selling food\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 85px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eNo\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 95px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e143 (54.8)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 94px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e118 (45.2)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 123px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 123px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 85px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eYes\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 95px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e71 (57.8)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 94px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e52 (42.2)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 123px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.13 (0.73, 1.74)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 123px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.64 (0.99, 3.15)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd rowspan=\"2\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 111px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePresence of paste control\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 85px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 95px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e182 (62.3)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 94px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e110 (37.7)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 123px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 123px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 85px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 95px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e11 (57.9)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 94px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e8 (42.1)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 123px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.83 (0.32, 2.13)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 123px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.23 (0.72, 2.59)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd rowspan=\"2\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 111px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAvailability of a hand-washing area at the site\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 85px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 95px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e134 (45.9)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 94px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e158 (54.1)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 123px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 123px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 85px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 95px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e43 (46.7)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 94px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e49 (53.3)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 123px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.03 (0.65, 1.66)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 123px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.67 (0.96, 3.24)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n\u003c/table\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eNotes:\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026nbsp;*p\u0026le;0.05; 1, reference category; Numbers in bold font represent variables significantly associated with food safety practices among street food vendors\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eAbbreviations:\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026nbsp;N, Number; COR, Crude Odds Ratio; AOR, Adjusted Odds Ratio\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Discussion","content":"\u003cp\u003eThe contribution of street foods in causing foodborne diseases and transmitting antimicrobial resistance is no less than its economic and social importance. Street food vendors have a lion’s share in maintaining the safety of street foods, which contributes to the reduction of foodborne diseases and the transmission of antimicrobial resistance.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis study has elucidated the food safety practices and associated factors among street food vendors in southwest Ethiopia. Accordingly, nearly two-thirds of street food vendors are exercising poor food safety practices, with a proportion of good food safety practices of 38.3% (CI: 31.1, 45.6). This finding is in line with the findings of a study conducted in the northwest parts of the country, where about 36% of street food vendors had good food safety practices.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHowever, our study revealed that a significantly lower proportion of street food vendors had good food safety practices than the findings of the study conducted in West Africa, Ghana, in which about 62.9% of street food vendors had a good level of food safety practices\u003csup\u003e20\u003c/sup\u003e. Likewise, the finding of our study notably indicates a lesser good food safety practices than the findings of the study conducted in Nigeria, where the adequate hygiene and sanitary practices of street vendors ranged from 90-92%\u003csup\u003e21,22\u003c/sup\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEvidence from the northern regions of the country also showed a higher proportion of good food safety practices (49.1%)\u003csup\u003e23\u003c/sup\u003e. The low level of food safety practices seen in our study might be due to variations in the accessibility of water at the site, variations in age, gender distribution, and educational status of the study participants. On the other hand, the low medical checkups and low level of educational status observed among the study participants might be the cause for the lower proportion of good food safety practices registered in this study. Furthermore, there is neither inspection of street food vendors on food safety practices nor food safety practices-related training given to street food vendors in the study area. The lack of formal registration and licensing of street food vendors and the absence of regular environmental, sanitary, and hygienic inspections among street food vendors indicate the insufficient consideration given to the street-vended foods and street food vendors in southwest Ethiopia, posing a public health problem to the community.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn contrast, the proportion of good food safety practices of street food vendors in our study was higher than the study conducted in India, where 33.5% of vendors had good hygienic practices of food handling\u003csup\u003e24\u003c/sup\u003e. The other study conducted in other parts of India also indicated that the good food safety practices were 19.1%, which is significantly lower than the finding of our study\u003csup\u003e25\u003c/sup\u003e. The study conducted in South Africa also showed that the street food vending sites had a lower (14%) compliance with sanitary conditions as compared to the findings of our study\u003csup\u003e26\u003c/sup\u003e. The variations in the level of good food safety practices could be due to variations in the knowledge, attitude, and educational status of the study participants. Our study was conducted among adult street food vendors, who might have an improved understanding of food safety practices and a better level of education as compared to children and adolescents working as street food vendors and who participated in the above-mentioned studies. Moreover, the high proportion of female-to-male ratio seen in our study may contribute to better food safety practices as compared to the above studies, considering the evidence of better food safety practices among females than males \u003csup\u003e19\u003c/sup\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis study has revealed that female street food vendors were 2.15 times more likely to exercise good food safety practices than their counterparts. This finding is consistent with the findings of other studies conducted in the northern part of the country \u003csup\u003e19\u003c/sup\u003e. This can be due to the evidence indicating that females have better knowledge of food safety practices than male street food vendors, as supported by different studies\u003csup\u003e13,27\u003c/sup\u003e. Additionally, the traditional gender roles and greater experience with food preparation at home in Ethiopia might lead females to have good food safety practices.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHowever, the finding of this study is inconsistent with the study conducted in other regions of the country, where male street food vendors were more likely to exercise good food safety practices than female street food vendors \u003csup\u003e28\u003c/sup\u003e. This can be due to variation in the socio-demographic characteristics of the study participants.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis study also elaborated that the odds of exercising good food safety practices among street food vendors who washed their hands before handling food items were higher than those who did not wash their hands before handling food items. This finding is in line with the findings of the study conducted in other developing countries \u003csup\u003e29\u003c/sup\u003e. The possible reason is due to the fact that hand washing is an essential and inexpensive practice that significantly reduces the risk of foodborne illnesses by removing pathogens and preventing cross-contamination, and consistent and proper hand washing is a fundamental component of any effective food safety program.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSimilarly, street food vendors who did not handle money while handling food items were more likely to exercise good food safety practices than those who handled money while handling food items. The findings of this study are consistent with the findings of other studies \u003csup\u003e30,31\u003c/sup\u003e. The potential for cross-contamination strongly supports the idea that street food vendors who separate money handling from food handling are more likely to exercise good food safety practices.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn addition, it has been revealed by this study that the odds of exercising good food safety practices among street food vendors who were using running tap water and detergents for cleaning utensils were higher than those who did not use running tap water and detergents for cleaning utensils. This finding was in line with the findings of the study conducted in other developing country \u003csup\u003e32\u003c/sup\u003e. This is because of the reason that utensils that are exposed to food can easily become contaminated with bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens. In successive utilization, improperly cleaned utensils can then transfer the pathogens to other food items, leading to cross-contamination and foodborne illnesses. Running water helps to physically remove dirt, debris, and loose microorganisms from utensils, and detergents (soaps) help to lift grease, oils, and tightly adhered microorganisms that water alone cannot easily dislodge by disrupting the cell membranes of bacteria and viruses, inactivating them. \u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eLimitations of the study\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis study has a limitation as it couldn’t assess the knowledge and attitude of street food vendors because of the scarcity of resources for conducting the study. It couldn’t further identify the possible determinants of food safety practices among street food vendors because of the nature of the study design.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n"},{"header":"Conclusion and recommendation","content":"\u003cp\u003eThis study aimed to explicate the food safety practices and associated factors among street food vendors in Southwest Ethiopia, where street food vending has become a popular informal business. Hence, the study has revealed that a significantly high 62 out of 100 street food vendors had poor food safety practices. As foodborne illnesses are common in Ethiopia, the finding of this study implies the high probability of street foods as a source of foodborne illnesses. Female street food vendors had better food safety practices than males. Hand washing before handling food items, handling money while handling food, and washing utensils using tap water and detergents were factors significantly associated with food safety practices among street food vendors. Though street food vending is important for both vendors and consumers, in serving as a means of income and providing nutritional needs, the formal registration and licensing of street food vendors is mandatory. The policy describing the minimum criteria to be fulfilled by street food vendors, including medical checkups and sanitary and hygienic conditions, should also be legislated. Training and education on food safety practices should be given to street food vendors, with a prominent consideration of male street food vendors. Moreover, a regular inspection of street food vendors for environmental, sanitary, and hygienic conditions should also be done.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003ch2\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCompeting Interest\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe authors declare no competing interests in this work\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eEthical consideration\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEthical clearance was obtained from the Mattu University\u0026rsquo;s College of Health Sciences Ethical Review Committee (CHS-ERC) with a Ref. No: RPG/134. The CHS-ERC has also approved the study protocol, and it was conducted according to the Declaration of Helsinki. Street food vendors were provided with overviews of the study, the harms, and the benefits of participating in this study. All participants were provided informed consent during the study.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eFunding Statement\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe authors declare that no financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eAuthor Contribution\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eY.N.: Formal analysis, Methodology, Writing \u0026ndash; original draft, Writing \u0026ndash; review \u0026amp; editing, Supervision. W.G.: Investigation, Methodology, Writing \u0026ndash; original draft, Supervision. M.W.: Writing \u0026ndash; review \u0026amp; editing, Formal analysis, Investigation, Data Curation, Methodology.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eAcknowledgement\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe would like to thank the Office of the Research Affairs Directorate of Mattu University for their technical assistance in this work. Our gratitude should also extend to study participants and data collectors for their involvement in this study.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eData Availability\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWorld Health Organization. Essential safety requirements for street-vended foods. (2000).\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMaroko, R. A. \u003cem\u003eDynamics of Cooked Food Vending in Kayole Location, Nairobi County, Kenya\u003c/em\u003e, Kenyatta University, (2016).\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSezgin, A. C. \u0026amp; Şanlıer, N. Street food consumption in terms of food safety and health. \u003cem\u003eJournal of Human Sciences\u003c/em\u003e \u003cstrong\u003e13\u003c/strong\u003e, 4072-4083 (2016).\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eChukwurah, G. 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Food safety, sanitation, and hygiene practices among street food vendors in Pokhara, Kaski. \u003cem\u003eJournal of Gandaki Medical College-Nepal\u003c/em\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e14\u003c/strong\u003e, 127-132 (2021).\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Food safety practices, street-vended foods, street food vendors, Southwest Ethiopia, associated factors","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6502116/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-6502116/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eStreet-vended foods have extended socio-economic importance beyond use for sustenance. Conversely, they are the major source of foodborne diseases in developing countries. Nevertheless, the consideration given to street-vended foods in Ethiopia is negligible. Therefore, this study aimed to explicate the food safety practices and associated factors among street food vendors in southwest Ethiopia. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among street food vendors from February to June 2023. Epi Data and SPSS software were used for data entry and statistical analysis, respectively. A total of 384 street food vendors participated in the study. The participants' mean age was 29.8 (SD: \u0026plusmn;10.3), and nearly two-thirds of the study participants were female. The overall level of good food safety practices was 38.3% (CI: 32.7, 45.6), indicating 62 out of 100 street food vendors had poor food safety practices. Gender, hand washing, money handling, and utensil cleaning were factors significantly associated with good food safety practices. Formal registration, licensing, and policy legislation describing the minimum criteria to be fulfilled by street food vendors are mandatory. Training and education should be given with a prominent consideration of male street food vendors. A regular inspection should also be done for environmental, sanitary, and hygienic conditions.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Food safety practices and associated factors among street food vendors in southwest Ethiopia: A community-based cross-sectional study","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-07-02 08:10:25","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6502116/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"f7e43fcb-c604-48dc-b8d2-9b0f30c0b142","owner":[],"postedDate":"July 2nd, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"posted","subjectAreas":[{"id":50730955,"name":"Health sciences/Diseases"},{"id":50730956,"name":"Health sciences/Medical research"}],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2025-09-30T21:08:25+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2025-07-02 08:10:25","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-6502116","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-6502116","identity":"rs-6502116","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}