Date of Conferral

2021

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Public Health

Advisor

Heidi Sato

Abstract

Despite policies and interventions over the last two decades, foodborne illness remains a significant public health concern. According to the CDC’s Foodborne Disease Outbreak Surveillance System, 60% of reported foodborne illness outbreaks involved food that was prepared at a restaurant. Reducing foodborne illness outbreaks that occur at restaurants would have a significant impact on the overall number of foodborne illnesses that occur each year. The purpose of this study was to quantitatively analyze the differences in risk factors in food establishments that have had a foodborne illness outbreak compared to food establishments that have not. This study used Reckwitz’s theory of practice as well the framework of the epidemiology triangle to better understand the differences in foodborne illness risk factors. The two research questions for this study were (a) what is the relationship between a food establishment's food inspection and complaint history and the occurrence of a foodborne illness outbreaks at a licensed food establishment, and (b) what is the relationship between a food establishment’s characteristics and the occurrence of a foodborne illness outbreak in a food establishment? Secondary data were used to conduct a case-control study on licensed food establishments in Rhode Island. Seventy-four percent of establishments that had an outbreak were full-service restaurants, and 79% of the establishments used advanced preparation procedures. Binominal logistic regression determined that the number of routine inspections and the number of complaints were statistically associated with the occurrence of an outbreak. The results from this study can be used to implement hazard surveillance to prevent foodborne illness outbreaks in restaurants and create positive social change.

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