Factors Affecting Consumers’ Food Safety Behaviors According to the Ecological Model of People in Kham Ta Klang District, Sakon Nakhon Province

Abstract

This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the consumers’ food safety behavior and factors influencing the consumers’ food safety behavior according to the ecological model of people in Kham Ta Kla district, Sakon Nakhon province. Samples were 377 people recruited through stratified random sampling. Questionnaires were used to collect the data. Data analysis in descriptive statistics were performed using frequencies, percentages, medians, means, and standard deviations. To assess correlations among variables, Chi-square tests and Spearman's Rho were used. Results revealed that: 1) most respondents (66.31%) were females, aged between 50 and 70 years (57.03%), 75.07% were married, completed a secondary education (50.13%), earned 6,000 baht a month, and have lived in the areas for 30 to 49 years (45.89%); 2) food safety behavior scores of consumers in Klam Ta Kla district, Sakon Nakhon province was at a high level accounting for 74.54 percent; and  3) factors influenced the consumers’ food safety behaviors included the personal factors such as training experience on food safety (p<0.05) and knowledge of safe food consumption (rs=0.14, p<0.01),  the interpersonal factor including support of family members (rs=0.603, p<0.01), and the organizational factor including preparation of public relations (p<0.05). The findings of this study can be utilized in establishing policies that more effectively encourage safe food consumption behaviors.