Online Food Poisoning Educational Intervention: Can It Be an Effective Medium to Improve Consumer’s Knowledge, Attitude and Risk Perception on Food Poisoning Prevention?

Introduction: Food poisoning is a significant issue that has garnered attention in the realm of public health. Given the recent documentation of multiple outbreaks associated with food poisoning, it is imperative to prioritise the education surrounding this issue over other food and waterborne diseases. Materials and methods: The content for the food poisoning prevention educational module, 'See, Select, Tell', was developed through a comprehensive review of existing literature and careful analysis of relevant documents. The validation of both the face and content of the study was confirmed by experts in the field. The module was implemented using Google Classroom, an online platform for blended learning. The study aimed to assess the usability of the module through a pre- and post-experimental design
to measure its effectiveness. Additionally, feedback from consumers was collected to evaluate the overall usefulness of the module. Results: The developed module elements were acceptable based on the experts’ validation (coefficient validity > 0.7). The module efficiency was tested, and there was a significant increase in knowledge scores in both the intervention and control group after 4 weeks’ intervention (t (29) = 9.95, p= <0.001, d = 1.82 and t (29) = 20.76, p = <0.001, d = 3.79 respectively). The attitude scores increased significantly from 57.47 (9.28) to 61.97 (10.0) in the intervention group after 4 weeks of module implementation (p= 0.019). Conclusion: The module could potentially serve as a valuable tool for health educators, enabling them to effectively educate and inspire the public to make informed decisions regarding healthy food choices and maintaining clean food preparation areas. This, in turn, has the potential to contribute to the prevention of food poisoning outbreaks in Malaysia