Awareness Regarding Healthy Eating Practices to Prevent Food Borne Disease among Somali Students Living in Bashundhara, Dhaka Bangladesh

Background: Food borne disease is one of the major global emerging health problems in the world. Prevalence of is Increasing daily. Overall awareness and modifying one's lifestyle could be beneficial to the reduction of food borne diseases. Majority of the cases are found in the developing countries. South Asian countries such as India and Bangladesh have a higher risk of food borne diseases which is rapidly increasing. True incidence of FBDs is difficult to evaluate, as many cases remain undeclared. WHO estimates that, worldwide food borne and water borne diarrheal diseases taken together kill about 2.2 million people annually and 1.9 million of them are children. Method: A cross sectional survey study was used to determine awareness regarding healthy eating practices to prevent food borne disease among Somali students living Bashundhara Dhaka, Bangladesh. Structured questionnaire was used and face to face interview were carried out by the researcher himself. A total of 217 Somali students were selected by using convenient sampling technique. Chi square was employed to examine the association between socio demographic characteristics and awareness regarding healthy eating practices to prevent food borne disease of Somali students after adjusting for significant variables p<0.05 level associated with awareness and within study site. Results: Regarding awareness on food borne disease and healthy eating practices 51% Somali students were aware of food borne disease; the level of awareness was not good also their attitude towards healthy eating and hygiene practice of Somali students 68.2% they store raw or cooked food for use at house hold in refrigerator, according their utensils in a kitchen 53.0% they are properly manage utensils after food properly cooked, and 92.2% they cooked well in chicken and meat. Conclusion: Awareness regarding healthy eating practices and prevention of food borne disease in Somali student was not good. Thus, there is a need for public health educational interventions.