Home⇛Psychology and Education: A Multidisciplinary Journal⇛vol. 36 no. 1 (2025)

Hygiene and Sanitation Practices amongst Canteen Personnel and Students' Observation Inside the Canteen Premises

Kiana Kerynne Olanes | Jheilie-jey Dela Cruz | Richmond Beronia | Avril Gail Lucero | Allen Adrian Arevalo | John Carlo Armando | Lady Valen Charon Dela Peña

Discipline: health studies

 

Abstract:

A canteen is a designated area within a school where students can purchase and consume food, contributing to their nutritional needs and social interactions. However, inadequate sanitation and hygiene practices in canteens can lead to health risks and negatively impact students' well-being and academic performance. This study evaluates the adherence of canteen personnel to proper sanitation and hygiene practices and investigates the relationship between these practices and students' observations of these practices within canteens at Saint Mary’s University. Utilizing both quantitative and qualitative methods, data were gathered through survey questionnaires administered to canteen personnel and students of both Senior High School and college, with profile variables including age, sex, and grade level. Findings indicate a high level of adherence to hygiene and sanitation practices based on students’ observations, with canteen personnel reporting a high level of adherence. Notably, there was no significant relationship between the self-evaluations of canteen personnel and students’ observations. Additionally, no significant differences in adherence were found based on the age and sex of canteen personnel. To improve cleanliness in the canteen, recommendations include constant monitoring, ensuring the availability of sanitation materials, implementing better facilities, continuous adherence to health and safety rules, managing designated roles effectively, and considering the expansion of canteen space. However, the generalizability of these findings maybe limited due to the study's focus on a single institution, which may not represent the diverse practices and conditions of canteens in other educational settings.



References:

  1. Abubakar, T. M. (2023). Hygiene practices and customer satisfaction in restaurants of registered hotels in Kano State, Nigeria. https://ir-library.ku.ac.ke/handle/123456789/26927,
  2. Al-Holy, M., Al-Nabulsi, A., & Al-Qaralleh, K. (2017). Sanitation practices and food safety in the foodservice industry: Impacts on foodborne illness risk. Food Control, 74, 219-225. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodcont.2016.10.038
  3. Altobano, M. J. T. (2022). Knowledge, attitude, and practice on food safety and hygiene of cooks in selected restaurants in Odiongan, Romblon [Master's thesis, University of the Philippines Los Baños]. Institute of Human Nutrition and Food, College of Human Ecology. https://www.ukdr.uplb.edu.ph/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=10022&context=etd-undergrad
  4. Anand, D., & Prakash, S. (2018). To assess the hygiene and sanitation practices of students of class VI to IX in urban government inter college at Allahabad district, India. International Journal of Community Medicine and Public Health. https://doi.org/10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20183428
  5. Asmawi, U. M. M., Norehan, A. A., Salikin, K., Rosdi, N. A. S., Munir, N. A. T. A., & Basri, N. B. M. (n.d.). An assessment of knowledge, attitudes, and practices in food safety among food handlers engaged in food courts. Current Research in Nutrition and Food Science, 6(2), 346–353.
  6. Ashraful, M., et al. (2021). Factors influencing sanitation and hygiene practices among students in a public university in Bangladesh. PLoS ONE. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0257663
  7. Azanaw, J., Gebrehiwot, M., & Dagne, H. (2019). Factors associated with food safety practices among food handlers: Facility-based cross-sectional study. BMC Research Notes, 12, 683. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13104-019-4702-5
  8. Azizah, A., & Adriyani, R. (2020). Hygiene sanitation and microbiological quality of food at student canteen. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/331980949_HYGIENE_SANITATION_AND_MICROBIOLOGICAL_QUALITY_OF_FOOD_AT_STUDENT_CANTEEN
  9. Badilla, L. (2020). The state of sanitation and hygiene practices among canteen personnel. EVSU University Research and Created Works. https://www.evsu.edu.ph/university-research-and-created-works/the-state-of-sanitation-and-hygiene-practices-among-canteen-personnel/
  10. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022). A child’s health is the public’s health. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/childrenindisasters/features/children-public-health.html
  11. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.). Children and public health emergencies. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/childrenindisasters/features/children-public-health.html
  12. Collins English Dictionary. (2024). Hygiene. In Collins English Dictionary. HarperCollins.
  13. Downtown Medical Group: Primary Care Practice. (n.d.). YOUR health is the most important thing in your life! Retrieved from https://www.downtownmedical.com/blog/your-health-is-the-most-important-thing-in-your-life
  14. Felman, A. (2023). What is good health? Medical News Today. Retrieved from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/150999
  15. Fitzgerald, C., et al. (2015). Food safety knowledge and practices among food service staff: A comparison of age groups. Journal of Food Protection.
  16. Gray Group International. (n.d.). Good health and well-being: What you want to know. Gray Group International. https://www.graygroupintl.com/blog/good-health-and-well-being
  17. Hernandez, N., Lipa, C., Llave, C., Baygan, A., & Baccay, E. (2016). An assessment of food safety, sanitation and hygiene practices in public high school canteens in Parañaque City. EU Academic. https://euacademic.org/UploadArticle/2580.pdf
  18. HYGIENE definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary. (2024). In Collins Dictionaries. https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/hygiene#:~:text=Hygiene%20is%20the%20practice%20of,sterility%20More%20Synonyms%20of%20hygiene
  19. Humanitarian Global. (2022). The importance of hygiene & sanitation. https://humanitarianglobal.com/the-importance-of-hygiene-sanitation/
  20. Jalani, R. M., Ariffin, H. F., & Bachok, S. (2021). The level of knowledge, attitude, and practices among the school canteen handlers in Kuala Muda, Kedah. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 11(13), 244–258. http://dx.doi.org/10.6007/IJARBSS/v11-i13/8524
  21. Johnson, A. L., & Carter, M. (2020). Hygiene practices among youth: A comparative study. Public Health Reports, 135(4), 452-459. https://doi.org/10.1177/0033358720900325
  22. Kabir, A., Roy, S., Begum, K., Kabir, A. H., & Miah, M. S. (2021). Factors influencing sanitation and hygiene practices among students in a public university in Bangladesh. PLoS ONE, 16(9), e0257663. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0257663
  23. Kouadio, J. H., et al. (2017). Prevalence and risk factors for foodborne illness outbreaks in food service establishments: A global review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 14(12), 1557. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph14121557
  24. Lee, J. H., & Smith, R. (2021). Age-related differences in hygiene practices: The role of social context. BMC Public Health, 21(1), 158. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-021-10267-9
  25. López, R., et al. (2018). Influence of training on food hygiene practices in food service personnel. Journal of Food Safety, 38(3), e12423.
  26. Sanchez, M. P. (2017). Sanitation practices among UCLM canteen concessionaires: A self-evaluation survey. The Malaysian Journal of Nursing (MJN), 9(2), 20-27. Retrieved from https://ejournal.lucp.net/index.php/mjn/article/view/423
  27. Meritech. (2023, September 19). Navigating compliance issues for food safety. Meritech. https://www.meritech.com/blog/navigating-compliance-issues-for-food-safety?hs_amp=true
  28. Minnesota Department of Health. (2022). Foodborne illness basics. Retrieved from https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/foodborne/basics.html
  29. Ogutu, E. A., Ellis, A., Rodriguez, K. C., Caruso, B. A., McClintic, E. E., Ventura, S. G., Arriola, K. R. J., Kowalski, A. J., Linabarger, M., Wodnik, B. K., Webb-Girard, A., Muga, R., & Freeman, M. C. (2022). Determinants of food preparation and hygiene practices among caregivers of children under two in Western Kenya: A formative research study. BMC Public Health, 22(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-022-14259-6
  30. Paul, B., Marie, B., Marjorie, L., Ann, C., & Leila, A. (2020). Relationship of personal hygiene score with sex, nutritional status, morbidity, and academic grades among primary grade school children in a public elementary school in Pila, Laguna. Retrieved from https://ovcre.uplb.edu.ph/journals-uplb/index.php/JHE/article/view/524
  31. Pritchard, A., & Jones, T. (2021). Analyzing gender differences in hygiene practices: A review of contextual factors. International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health, 230, 113-120. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijheh.2021.113120
  32. Rahman, A., Tosepu, R., Karimuna, S. R., Yusran, S., & Junaid, A. Z. (2018). Personal hygiene, sanitation and food safety knowledge of food workers at the university canteen in Indonesia. Public Health of Indonesia, 4(4), 154-161.
  33. Rodriguez, K. C., Ogutu, E. A., Ellis, A., Caruso, B. A., McClintic, E. E., Ventura, S. G., Arriola, K. R., Kowalski, A. J., Linabarger, M., Wodnik, B. K., Webb-Girard, A., Muga, R., & Freeman, M. C. (2020). Determinants of food preparation and hygiene practices among caregivers of children under two in Western Kenya: A formative research study. BMC Public Health, 22(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-022-14259-6
  34. SCRIB. (2018). Food safety and sanitary practices in school canteens: Background of the study. Retrieved from https://www.scribd.com/document/455843944/final-research-AKALA-MO-LANG
  35. Sembiring, H., Perangin-angin, B. R., Silitonga, M., & Mayanti, L. (2023). The relationship between knowledge and attitudes of food handlers with the implementation of food hygiene sanitation at restaurants in Minas District in 2022. Jurnal UINSU. https://jurnal.uinsu.ac.id/index.php/contagion/article/view/15435
  36. Sharma, M. K., & Adhikari, R. (2022). Effects of water, sanitation, and hygiene on the school absenteeism of basic level students in the government school of Nepal. Frontiers in Education. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2022.869933/full
  37. UNICEF. (2021). Better hygiene leads to better health, confidence and overall growth. UNICEF. https://www.unicef.org/wash/hygiene
  38. UNICEF. (2022). Water, sanitation and hygiene. Retrieved from https://www.unicef.org/wash
  39. USAID. (2017). Improving sanitation. USAID. https://2012-2017.usaid.gov/what-we-do/water-and-sanitation/advancing-water-supply-sanitation-and-hygiene/improving-sanitation
  40. World Health Organization. (2020). Hygiene and sanitation in food safety: A global perspective. WHO Guidelines for Food Safety.
  41. World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa. (2018). Overview (Sanitation). Retrieved from https://www.afro.who.int/node/5691

Tools


Copyright © 2026  KITE Digital Educational Solutions |  Exclusively distributed by CE-Logic