Record Details

Aflatoxin contamination: Knowledge disparities among agriculture extension officers, frontline health workers and small holder farming households in Malawi

OAR@ICRISAT

View Archive Info
 
 
Field Value
 
Relation http://oar.icrisat.org/11693/
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodcont.2020.107672
doi:10.1016/j.foodcont.2020.107672
 
Title Aflatoxin contamination: Knowledge disparities among agriculture extension officers, frontline health workers and small holder farming households in Malawi
 
Creator Gichohi-Wainaina, W N
Kumwenda, N
Zulu, R
Munthali, J
Okori, P
 
Subject Smallholder Farmers
Food Security
Aflatoxins
 
Description The aims of this study were to assess the state of knowledge and perceptions regarding aflatoxin contamination
among frontline workers in direct contact with small holder farming households in Malawi as well as among the
households themselves. The study first investigated and documented demographic profiles of agriculture
extension workers (n = 22) and frontline health workers (n = 161) both from Ntchisi district and small holder
farming households (n = 915) from Dedza, Balaka and Mzimba districts. Structured questionnaires were
administered to document knowledge and perceptions. Majority of the respondents in Ntchisi were frontline
nutrition and health workers as follows: care group promoters (31.7%), cluster leaders (51.9%) and health
surveillance assistants (4.4%). Only 12% of the respondents were agriculture extension officers. Among frontline
workers, using factor analyses, factors highly associated with the knowledge on domestic management of aflatoxin
contamination and the impact of aflatoxin contamination on child linear growth and health in general were
most prominent. Whereas, their knowledge of pre & post-harvest practices that pre-dispose crops to aflatoxin
contamination and impact of aflatoxin contamination on trade and income losses was relatively low. On the
other hand, among small holder farming households, lowest knowledge was related to occurrence of aflatoxin
contamination pre and post-harvest. Highest knowledge was observed on issues around loss of income due to
aflatoxin contamination. Across all districts over 50% of surveyed respondents reported that they perceived
aflatoxin contamination severity as low. Majority of the households (>50%) did not perceive aflatoxin
contamination as a problem that could be controlled.
This is the first study to investigate knowledge, attitudes, practices and perceptions on aflatoxin contamination
among a combination of agriculture extension officers and frontline health workers in parallel with the households
they usually are in contact with. The current investigation is crucial because it elucidates knowledge gaps
in aflatoxin critical control across agriculture extension, health workers and the small holder farming households.
This is especially crucial among agriculture extension workers and frontline health workers as they have
direct contact with households and therefore serve as an important source of information that could influence
behavior change.
 
Publisher Elsevier
 
Date 2020-10
 
Type Article
PeerReviewed
 
Format application/pdf
 
Language en
 
Identifier http://oar.icrisat.org/11693/1/main.pdf
Gichohi-Wainaina, W N and Kumwenda, N and Zulu, R and Munthali, J and Okori, P (2020) Aflatoxin contamination: Knowledge disparities among agriculture extension officers, frontline health workers and small holder farming households in Malawi. Food Control (TSI), 121. pp. 1-8. ISSN 0956-7135