PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Abdulsalam, Nisreen M.
AU  - Alnomani, Hajar B.
TI  - Developing, translating, and validating a survey instrument for assessing hospital food service staff’s food safety knowledge, perceptions, and practices during the COVID-19 pandemic
AID  - 10.15537/smj.2024.45.1.20230272
DP  - 2024 Jan 01
TA  - Saudi Medical Journal
PG  - 98--103
VI  - 45
IP  - 1
4099  - http://smj.org.sa/content/45/1/98.short
4100  - http://smj.org.sa/content/45/1/98.full
SO  - Saudi Med J2024 Jan 01; 45
AB  - Objectives: To develop and validate a questionnaire to assess the food safety knowledge, perceptions, and practices (KPPs) of hospital food service staff (FSS) amidst the challenges of the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.Methods: The questionnaire was subjected to a rigorous evaluation process, which included a literature review and focus groups comprising the general public, FSS, and key experts in food service. The pilot testing highlighted its utility and determined its content validity ratio (CVR).Results: Most items received high CVR scores of 0.96, indicating excellent content validity. A subsequent pilot study involved 40 FSS. Reliability testing, using Cronbach’s alpha value of 0.914, demonstrated good internal consistency across the questionnaire scales. The final version consisted of 115 items.Conclusion: The developed questionnaire, available in both English and Arabic, exhibits both validity and reliability. It acts as a crucial tool for healthcare facilities to assess food safety KPPs among FSS, both under regular operations and during crises like the COVID-19 pandemic. This tool is adaptable to various hospital settings, aiding in the reduction of foodborne diseases risks.