Determining the knowledge, attitudes and behavior of pregnants towards food safety: the case of Bitlis province

This research was designed as a descriptive study and was conducted to determine the knowledge level, attitudes, and behaviors of pregnant women in Bitlis province regarding food safety. The population of the study consisted of 554 pregnant women registered at the Central Community Health Centers in Bitlis. The study was carried out with 216 pregnant women who volunteered to participate. According to the research findings, the average age of the participants is 28.5. It has been observed that information about food safety during pregnancy is mostly obtained from doctors (74.5%). While 66.7% of the participants consume raw milk, it is seen that they usually boil this milk for 10-15 minutes (40.8%). The most preferred methods for thawing frozen foods are thawing on the kitchen counter/at room temperature (39.5%) and in the refrigerator (33.0%). The proportion of those who stated that it is not safe to refreeze thawed foods was quite high (84.6%). According to the findings obtained from the behavioral practices of the pregnant women participating in the study, based on their education level, income status, and occupational groups, it was determined that as the level of education and income increased, positive behaviors in more specific hygiene and food safety practices also increased. The mean and standard deviation of the Food Safety Attitude Scale were 50.36±4.63. The majority of the participants (91.2%) demonstrated a highly positive attitude on the Food Safety Attitude Scale. As a result, while no significant negative behaviors or attitudes toward food safety were detected among the pregnant women participating in the study, it can be said that they have insufficient and incorrect knowledge on certain aspects of food safety. It is recommended to expand training programs organized by local health institutions and community health centers to improve pregnant women's knowledge of food safety. Keywords: Pregnancy, Food safety, Hygiene, Attitude, Behavior.