. 2024 Jan 11;24(1):155.

doi: 10.1186/s12889-023-17608-1.

Food safety-related practices among residents aged 18-75 years during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study in Southwest China

Zhourong Li^{1

2

3

4}, Ke Jiang^{1

2

3

4}, Shengping Li^{1

2

3

4}, Tiankun Wang^{1

2

3

4}, Huan Zeng^{1

2

3

4}, Manoj Sharma^{5

6}, Zumin Shi⁷, Yong Zhao^{8

9

10

11

12}

Affiliations

¹ School of Public Health, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China.
² Research Center for Medicine and Social Development, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China.
³ Research Center for Public Health Security, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China.
⁴ Nutrition Innovation Platform-Sichuan and Chongqing, School of Public Health, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China.
⁵ Department of Social and Behavioral Health, School of Public Health, University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), Las Vegas, NV, 89119, USA.
⁶ Department of Internal Medicine, Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine, University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), Las Vegas, NV, 89102, USA.
⁷ Human Nutrition Department, College of Health Sciences, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, 2713, Qatar.
⁸ School of Public Health, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China. zhaoyong@cqmu.edu.cn.
⁹ Research Center for Medicine and Social Development, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China. zhaoyong@cqmu.edu.cn.
¹⁰ Research Center for Public Health Security, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China. zhaoyong@cqmu.edu.cn.
¹¹ Chongqing Key Laboratory of Child Nutrition and Health, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400014, China. zhaoyong@cqmu.edu.cn.
¹² Nutrition Innovation Platform-Sichuan and Chongqing, School of Public Health, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China. zhaoyong@cqmu.edu.cn.

PMID: 38212718
PMCID: PMC10782632
DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-17608-1

Food safety-related practices among residents aged 18-75 years during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study in Southwest China

Zhourong Li et al. BMC Public Health. 2024.

. 2024 Jan 11;24(1):155.

doi: 10.1186/s12889-023-17608-1.

Authors

Zhourong Li^{1

2

3

4}, Ke Jiang^{1

2

3

4}, Shengping Li^{1

2

3

4}, Tiankun Wang^{1

2

3

4}, Huan Zeng^{1

2

3

4}, Manoj Sharma^{5

6}, Zumin Shi⁷, Yong Zhao^{8

9

10

11

12}

Affiliations

¹ School of Public Health, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China.
² Research Center for Medicine and Social Development, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China.
³ Research Center for Public Health Security, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China.
⁴ Nutrition Innovation Platform-Sichuan and Chongqing, School of Public Health, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China.
⁵ Department of Social and Behavioral Health, School of Public Health, University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), Las Vegas, NV, 89119, USA.
⁶ Department of Internal Medicine, Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine, University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), Las Vegas, NV, 89102, USA.
⁷ Human Nutrition Department, College of Health Sciences, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, 2713, Qatar.
⁸ School of Public Health, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China. zhaoyong@cqmu.edu.cn.
⁹ Research Center for Medicine and Social Development, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China. zhaoyong@cqmu.edu.cn.
¹⁰ Research Center for Public Health Security, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China. zhaoyong@cqmu.edu.cn.
¹¹ Chongqing Key Laboratory of Child Nutrition and Health, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400014, China. zhaoyong@cqmu.edu.cn.
¹² Nutrition Innovation Platform-Sichuan and Chongqing, School of Public Health, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China. zhaoyong@cqmu.edu.cn.

PMID: 38212718
PMCID: PMC10782632
DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-17608-1

Abstract

Background: Good food safety practices are essential to minimizing foodborne diseases. The present study explored the food safety-related practices of residents during the COVID-19 pandemic in Southwest China and identified the impacting factors.

Methods: Residents aged 18-75 years from Guizhou, Yunnan, Sichuan, and Chongqing, China, were included in our study. The convenience sampling method was used to select participants, and face-to-face surveys were conducted in households and communities to collect data. Descriptive statistics including sociodemographic characteristics of respondents and weighted percentages were obtained and the log-binomial regression was used to evaluate the influencing factors associated with food safety-related practices.

Results: Overall, 7,848 respondents were involved, with 97.5% efficacy. Disparities in food safety-related practices were observed between males and females, with the former performing poorer practices than the latter (70.5% vs. 68.0%, respectively). Notably, paying attention to nutrition labels when shopping for prepackaged foods was the worst practice. Age, ethnicity, region, occupation, education level, and income were identified as significant determinants of food safety-related practices. Moreover, in comparison to males, females were more likely to acquire pertinent knowledge from diverse sources, including social media, family members/ friends, books/ newspapers/ magazines, experts, and food sales staff (p < 0.05).

Conclusions: Males performed inferior food safety-related practices than females during the COVID-19 pandemic in Southwest China. It is suggested that future food safety education programs should incorporate diverse targeted approaches, with emphasis on males. The role of mainstream media in promoting food safety practices should be expanded and prioritized in the forthcoming initiatives.

Keywords: COVID-19 pandemic; Food safety-related practices; Gender; Southwest China.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

**Fig. 1**
Channels for obtaining relevant knowledge of food safety, Southwest China, 2021 *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, ***P < 0.001

See this image and copyright information in PMC

Cited by

Foodborne disease outbreaks before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in Jiangsu Province, China.
Zhu Q, Zong W, Wu Y, Fu P, Dai Y. Zhu Q, et al. One Health. 2025 Jul 29;21:101154. doi: 10.1016/j.onehlt.2025.101154. eCollection 2025 Dec. One Health. 2025. PMID: 40822318 Free PMC article.

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Food safety-related practices among residents aged 18-75 years during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study in Southwest China

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Food safety-related practices among residents aged 18-75 years during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study in Southwest China

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