Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/105973
Title: Food allergy knowledge, attitudes and their determinants among restaurant staff : a cross-sectional study
Authors: Loerbroks, Adrian
Tolksdorf, Susanne Julia
Wagenmann, Martin
Smith, Helen
Keywords: DRNTU::Science::Medicine
Food Allergies
Allergens
Issue Date: 2019
Source: Loerbroks, A., Tolksdorf, S. J., Wagenmann, M., & Smith, H. (2019). Food allergy knowledge, attitudes and their determinants among restaurant staff : a cross-sectional study. PLOS ONE, 14(4), e0214625-. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0214625
Series/Report no.: PLOS ONE
Abstract: Background : There is wide international variation regarding food allergy knowledge among restaurant staff. Further, attitudes towards food allergy remain under-researched. Insights into the independent determinants of knowledge and attitudes are limited due to lacking mutual statistical adjustment for determinants/confounders in the vast majority of prior studies. In this study we aimed to contribute novel data on the food allergy knowledge and attitudes among restaurant staff in Germany whilst also examining potential determinants of both outcomes using multivariable approaches. Methods : We collected data face-to-face from 295 staff members in restaurants in Düsseldorf, Germany. Knowledge was assessed by asking participants to name three common food allergens and to answer five true/false-statements. Seven items assessed attitudes. A total of 16 potential determinants were examined using logistic regression models with backward selection. Results : Only 30% (n = 89) of the respondents correctly named three food allergens and 41% (n = 120) attained a perfect score on the true/false statements. The vast majority expressed positive attitudes toward the need for cooperation and shared responsibilities for food-allergic customers. However, the expressed attitudes towards serving customers with food allergies and validity of customer-reported food allergies were unfavorable. Determinants of food allergy knowledge (e.g. the type of restaurant, professional roles, or levels of school education) and of unfavorable attitudes (e.g. gender) were identified. Conclusions : Food allergy knowledge was suboptimal among restaurant staff and attitudes towards customers were rather poor. While we identified some determinants, additional studies are needed to systematically examine potential determinants for targetting educational interventions in the future.
URI: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/105973
http://hdl.handle.net/10220/48856
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0214625
Schools: Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine (LKCMedicine) 
Rights: © 2019 Loerbroks et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Fulltext Permission: open
Fulltext Availability: With Fulltext
Appears in Collections:LKCMedicine Journal Articles

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