Document Detail


Discovery and development of educational strategies to encourage safe food handling behaviors in cancer patients.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  18724762     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
Foodborne infections pose a threat to cancer patients who are immunocompromised because of disease or medical therapy. Comprehensive food safety education can raise cancer patients' awareness of risk for foodborne infections and encourage risk-reducing behavior. The objectives of this study were to assess food safety informational needs of cancer patients and to determine factors that may influence prospective educational interventions that foster risk-reducing behaviors. Focus groups with cancer patients were formed, and interviews with health professionals working with cancer patients were conducted. Findings were used to develop three educational resource prototypes for cancer patients. Information from two additional focus groups and interviews with cancer patients was used to evaluate the prototypes before revision and finalization. There was a general awareness among focus group participants that chemotherapy increased their susceptibility to foodborne illness and infections. Participants had a basic knowledge of safe food handling practices but did not necessarily link their awareness of increased susceptibility for infection with their routine food handling practices. When informed of specific high-risk foods, there was skepticism about compliance due to disbelief of the risk, personal preferences for the high-risk food, and lack of information about how to use the recommendation. Most of the health care providers agreed that food safety information should be provided by dietitians, physicians, and nurses, but physicians stated they had little time to do so. Cancer patients expressed positive attitudes toward the educational resource prototypes and willingness to follow the food safety recommendations provided.
Authors:
Lydia C Medeiros; Gang Chen; Virginia N Hillers; Patricia A Kendall
Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.    
Journal Detail:
Title:  Journal of food protection     Volume:  71     ISSN:  0362-028X     ISO Abbreviation:  J. Food Prot.     Publication Date:  2008 Aug 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2008-08-26     Completed Date:  2008-10-20     Revised Date:  2009-11-19    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  7703944     Medline TA:  J Food Prot     Country:  United States    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  1666-72     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
Department of Human Nutrition, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210-1295, USA. medeiros.1@osu.edu
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Aged
Consumer Product Safety*
Disease Susceptibility
Female
Focus Groups
Food Contamination / prevention & control*
Food Handling / methods*
Foodborne Diseases / prevention & control*
Humans
Immunocompromised Host
Interviews as Topic
Male
Middle Aged
Neoplasms / immunology*
Patient Education as Topic*
Risk Factors

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


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