Predictors of Bovine TB Risk Behaviour amongst Meat Handlers in Nigeria: A Cross-Sectional Study Guided by the Health Belief Model
File(s)
Published version
Author(s)
Hambolu, D
Freeman, J
Taddese, HB
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Background: Bovine Tuberculosis (bTB) is still a serious public health threat in developing countries. The aim of this study is
to determine the social and cognitive factors predicting one of the risk behaviours amongst meat handlers in Nigeria,
namely, eating Fuku Elegusi. This is the practice of eating the visibly infected parts of the lung in-order to convince
customers to buy meat. The study is guided by the health belief model (HBM).
Methods: This is a cross-sectional study of 349 randomly selected meat handlers in Oko-Oba Abattoir, in Lagos State.
Descriptive statistics and multiple logistic regression analysis were employed to determine perceptions and prevalence of
risk behaviours and to identify predictors of eating Fuku Elegusi.
Results: Just over a quarter (28.1%) of the study participants knew that eating Fuku Elegusi could be a source of bTB in
humans. The prevalence of eating Fuku Elegusi was found to be 22%. Across all knowledge indicators related to bTB, those
who don’t eat Fuku Elegusi exhibited better knowledge. Strong predictors of eating Fuku Elegusi were: being male (OR: 2.39,
95% CI: 1.10 to 5.19; p = 0.03), not knowing that eating Fuku Elegusi exposes to bTB (OR: 3.72, 95% CI: 1.69 to 8.22; p = 0.001),
and the perception that one cannot sell meat without tasting it (perceived barrier) (OR: 1.35, 95% CI: 1.13 to 1.60; p = 0.001).
Lower risk of eating Fuku Elegusi was predicted by perceived susceptibility to bTB due to another risk behaviour, namely,
not washing hands after handling meat (OR: 0.78, 95% CI: 0.64 to 0.96; p-value = 0.021). Television and radio were the most
acceptable media for TB prevention messages (78.5% and 75.6% respectively).
Conclusion: Meat handlers in developing countries bear high risk to bTB owing to prevailing social and cognition
determinants. Findings were largely consistent with the propositions of HBM.
to determine the social and cognitive factors predicting one of the risk behaviours amongst meat handlers in Nigeria,
namely, eating Fuku Elegusi. This is the practice of eating the visibly infected parts of the lung in-order to convince
customers to buy meat. The study is guided by the health belief model (HBM).
Methods: This is a cross-sectional study of 349 randomly selected meat handlers in Oko-Oba Abattoir, in Lagos State.
Descriptive statistics and multiple logistic regression analysis were employed to determine perceptions and prevalence of
risk behaviours and to identify predictors of eating Fuku Elegusi.
Results: Just over a quarter (28.1%) of the study participants knew that eating Fuku Elegusi could be a source of bTB in
humans. The prevalence of eating Fuku Elegusi was found to be 22%. Across all knowledge indicators related to bTB, those
who don’t eat Fuku Elegusi exhibited better knowledge. Strong predictors of eating Fuku Elegusi were: being male (OR: 2.39,
95% CI: 1.10 to 5.19; p = 0.03), not knowing that eating Fuku Elegusi exposes to bTB (OR: 3.72, 95% CI: 1.69 to 8.22; p = 0.001),
and the perception that one cannot sell meat without tasting it (perceived barrier) (OR: 1.35, 95% CI: 1.13 to 1.60; p = 0.001).
Lower risk of eating Fuku Elegusi was predicted by perceived susceptibility to bTB due to another risk behaviour, namely,
not washing hands after handling meat (OR: 0.78, 95% CI: 0.64 to 0.96; p-value = 0.021). Television and radio were the most
acceptable media for TB prevention messages (78.5% and 75.6% respectively).
Conclusion: Meat handlers in developing countries bear high risk to bTB owing to prevailing social and cognition
determinants. Findings were largely consistent with the propositions of HBM.
Editor(s)
Cattamanchi, A
Date Issued
2013-02-11
Date Acceptance
2013-01-04
Citation
PLoS ONE, 2013, 8 (2)
ISSN
1932-6203
Publisher
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Journal / Book Title
PLoS ONE
Volume
8
Issue
2
Copyright Statement
© 2013 Hambolu et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits
unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
License URL
Subjects
MD Multidisciplinary
General Science & Technology
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
e56091
Date Publish Online
2013-02-11