Table 1 Distribution of socio-demographic factors, training received and medical certifications among food handlers
Description | n | % |
|---|---|---|
Gender | ||
Female | 370 | 41.0 |
Male | 534 | 59.0 |
Ethnicity | ||
Sinhala | 849 | 93.9 |
Tamil | 29 | 3.2 |
Burger | 3 | 0.3 |
Moor | 23 | 2.5 |
Religion | ||
Buddhist | 850 | 94 |
Catholic | 3 | 3 |
Hindu | 25 | 2 |
Islam | 26 | 2.9 |
Age Categorya | ||
Teenage (Less than 20 yrs) | 25 | 2 |
20—29yrs | 119 | 13.2 |
30—39yrs | 172 | 19 |
40 -49yrs | 251 | 27.8 |
50—59yrs | 180 | 19.9 |
60 and above | 157 | 17.4 |
Marital Status | ||
Married | 778 | 86.1 |
Unmarried | 124 | 13.7 |
Widowed | 2 | 2 |
Divorced | 0 | 0 |
Others | 0 | 0 |
Income level in LKR | ||
Less than 10,000 | 180 | 19.9 |
10,001–30,000 | 358 | 39.6 |
30,001–50,000 | 235 | 26 |
50,001–100,000 | 100 | 11.1 |
> 100,000 | 24 | 2.7 |
missing | 7 | 0.8 |
Level of education | ||
No schooling | 18 | 2 |
Up to grade 5 | 207 | 22.9 |
Up to Ordinary Level (O/L) | 422 | 46.7 |
Up to Advanced level (A/L) | 227 | 25.1 |
Holding a diploma or degree | 30 | 3.3 |
Undergone any type of formal training as a food handler | ||
Yes | 64 | 7.1 |
No | 840 | 92.9 |
Undergone any type of non-formal type training as a food handler | ||
Yes | 241 | 26.7 |
No | 663 | 73.4 |
Undergone any type of formal or non-formal training as a food handler | ||
Yes | 305 | 33.7 |
No | 599 | 66.3 |
Mode of any type of training receivedb | ||
From MOH office | 7 | 2.3 |
By Business related training sessions | 5 | 1.6 |
From training at Hotel school | 47 | 15.4 |
At the time, obtaining NVQ certification | 9 | 3 |
By experience | 230 | 75.4 |
By parents and Family | 7 | 2.3 |
Years of experience | ||
Less than 1 year | 209 | 23.1 |
From 1 – less than 2 years | 145 | 16 |
From 2 – less than 5 years | 185 | 20.5 |
From 5 – less than 10 years | 126 | 13.9 |
From 10 years onwards | 239 | 26.4 |
Availability of medical certification to work as a food handler | ||
Yes | 79 | 8.7 |
No | 825 | 91.3 |