Determination of the knowledge level, attitudes and food availability of pregnant women about food safety: Çerkezköy county sample

This study aimed to determine pregnant women's knowledge level, attitudes about food safety, and food availability. The study was conducted with 192 volunteer pregnant participants who applied to Family Health Centers in Çerkezköy district of Tekirdağ between January 12, 2022 and August 1, 2022. A data collection form about food safety and "Household Food Security Survey Module -Short Form" was used to measure food availability. The researcher measured anthropometrics. It was determined that 96.4% (n=185) of the participants did not know exactly the concept of food safety. The mean score of the participants for the "Level of Knowledge" sub-dimension was 28.04±24.20; for the "hygiene" sub-dimension, it was 41.02±32.85, while it was 33.25±28.31 for "Food Separation" sub-dimension. For the "cooking," "cooling," and "consumption" sub-dimensions, the mean scores were 38.80±35.24, 16.67±22.36, and 44.62±22.68, respectively. The total scores from all the sub-dimensions vary between 2 and 80.4; the mean score was 35.28±21.58. The Kuder Richardson-20 coefficient of the data collection form is 0.940. The mean score of the Household Food Security Survey Module -Short Form was 2.04±1.95, which indicates low food security. As a result, in the research group consisting of pregnant women in the Çerkezköy district, the knowledge levels of pregnant women about food safety are low. Their scores for performing the right application of food safety practices are low. According to food security levels, pregnant women had low food security. Larger-scale studies are needed to draw attention to the importance of the subject and to ensure that necessary precautions are taken. Keywords: Food Safety, Food Security, Food Insecurity, HFSSM-SF, Pregnant Women.