Women’s perceptions of food safety risks and vendor practices in northern Tanzania: a mixed-methods analysis
We know little about how women in Africa perceive and manage food safety risks for fruits and vegetables, and how these perceptions and practices influence their food choices. To investigate this, we employed a sequential mixed-methods analysis using data from 33 villages across the Arusha and Kilim...
| Autores principales: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Formato: | Preprint |
| Lenguaje: | Inglés |
| Publicado: |
International Food Policy Research Institute
2025
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| Materias: | |
| Acceso en línea: | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/179931 |
| _version_ | 1855543582640832512 |
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| author | Singh, Nishmeet Marshall, Quinn Bliznashka, Lilia Zakayo, Rachel Mukasa, Lydia Torres Chavez, Jose Luis Malindisa, Evangelista Jeremiah, Kidola Kinabo, Joyce Bellows, Alexandra L. Olney, Deanna K. Mwambi, Mercy Wilson, Marisa Jaacks, Lindsay M. Kumar, Neha |
| author_browse | Bellows, Alexandra L. Bliznashka, Lilia Jaacks, Lindsay M. Jeremiah, Kidola Kinabo, Joyce Kumar, Neha Malindisa, Evangelista Marshall, Quinn Mukasa, Lydia Mwambi, Mercy Olney, Deanna K. Singh, Nishmeet Torres Chavez, Jose Luis Wilson, Marisa Zakayo, Rachel |
| author_facet | Singh, Nishmeet Marshall, Quinn Bliznashka, Lilia Zakayo, Rachel Mukasa, Lydia Torres Chavez, Jose Luis Malindisa, Evangelista Jeremiah, Kidola Kinabo, Joyce Bellows, Alexandra L. Olney, Deanna K. Mwambi, Mercy Wilson, Marisa Jaacks, Lindsay M. Kumar, Neha |
| author_sort | Singh, Nishmeet |
| collection | Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace) |
| description | We know little about how women in Africa perceive and manage food safety risks for fruits and vegetables, and how these perceptions and practices influence their food choices. To investigate this, we employed a sequential mixed-methods analysis using data from 33 villages across the Arusha and Kilimanjaro regions of Northern Tanzania. Quantitative household surveys were conducted with 2,577 women to document their perceptions of food safety risks associated with fresh fruits and vegetables. Additionally, quantitative surveys assessing food safety facilities and practices were conducted in 14 markets and 108 retail outlets. These data informed the creation of food safety scores for women’s risk perceptions and village-level vendor characteristics. We used the scores to analyse their relationship with household-level consumption and expenditure on fruits and vegetables using mixed-effects regression models. Subsequently, ethnographic research involved in-depth exploration with women from three communities to investigate the factors shaping food safety risk perceptions and their connections to household practices and food choices. Our quantitative findings indicated that women’s perceptions of food safety were associated with household-level consumption and expenditure, while vendor safety characteristics were not. The qualitative insights revealed that social relations, community interactions, and trust were pivotal for women in managing food safety risks. Women used these to assess and address food safety risks. Women were also assisted in minimising risk through their roles as producers, sellers, and household managers. Our analysis highlights the importance of understanding consumer perceptions and their socio-cultural contexts in designing interventions that enhance food safety and promote healthier diets. |
| format | Preprint |
| id | CGSpace179931 |
| institution | CGIAR Consortium |
| language | Inglés |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publishDateRange | 2025 |
| publishDateSort | 2025 |
| publisher | International Food Policy Research Institute |
| publisherStr | International Food Policy Research Institute |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | CGSpace1799312026-01-15T17:47:17Z Women’s perceptions of food safety risks and vendor practices in northern Tanzania: a mixed-methods analysis Singh, Nishmeet Marshall, Quinn Bliznashka, Lilia Zakayo, Rachel Mukasa, Lydia Torres Chavez, Jose Luis Malindisa, Evangelista Jeremiah, Kidola Kinabo, Joyce Bellows, Alexandra L. Olney, Deanna K. Mwambi, Mercy Wilson, Marisa Jaacks, Lindsay M. Kumar, Neha gender women food safety retail markets We know little about how women in Africa perceive and manage food safety risks for fruits and vegetables, and how these perceptions and practices influence their food choices. To investigate this, we employed a sequential mixed-methods analysis using data from 33 villages across the Arusha and Kilimanjaro regions of Northern Tanzania. Quantitative household surveys were conducted with 2,577 women to document their perceptions of food safety risks associated with fresh fruits and vegetables. Additionally, quantitative surveys assessing food safety facilities and practices were conducted in 14 markets and 108 retail outlets. These data informed the creation of food safety scores for women’s risk perceptions and village-level vendor characteristics. We used the scores to analyse their relationship with household-level consumption and expenditure on fruits and vegetables using mixed-effects regression models. Subsequently, ethnographic research involved in-depth exploration with women from three communities to investigate the factors shaping food safety risk perceptions and their connections to household practices and food choices. Our quantitative findings indicated that women’s perceptions of food safety were associated with household-level consumption and expenditure, while vendor safety characteristics were not. The qualitative insights revealed that social relations, community interactions, and trust were pivotal for women in managing food safety risks. Women used these to assess and address food safety risks. Women were also assisted in minimising risk through their roles as producers, sellers, and household managers. Our analysis highlights the importance of understanding consumer perceptions and their socio-cultural contexts in designing interventions that enhance food safety and promote healthier diets. 2025-12-17 2026-01-15T17:47:16Z 2026-01-15T17:47:16Z Preprint https://hdl.handle.net/10568/179931 en Open Access International Food Policy Research Institute Singh, Nishmeet; Marshall, Quinn; Bliznashka, Lilia; Zakayo, Rachel; Mukasa, Lydia; et al. 2026. Women’s perceptions of food safety risks and vendor practices in northern Tanzania: A mixed-methods analysis. MedRXiv Preprint. https://doi.org/10.64898/2025.12.17.25342242 |
| spellingShingle | gender women food safety retail markets Singh, Nishmeet Marshall, Quinn Bliznashka, Lilia Zakayo, Rachel Mukasa, Lydia Torres Chavez, Jose Luis Malindisa, Evangelista Jeremiah, Kidola Kinabo, Joyce Bellows, Alexandra L. Olney, Deanna K. Mwambi, Mercy Wilson, Marisa Jaacks, Lindsay M. Kumar, Neha Women’s perceptions of food safety risks and vendor practices in northern Tanzania: a mixed-methods analysis |
| title | Women’s perceptions of food safety risks and vendor practices in northern Tanzania: a mixed-methods analysis |
| title_full | Women’s perceptions of food safety risks and vendor practices in northern Tanzania: a mixed-methods analysis |
| title_fullStr | Women’s perceptions of food safety risks and vendor practices in northern Tanzania: a mixed-methods analysis |
| title_full_unstemmed | Women’s perceptions of food safety risks and vendor practices in northern Tanzania: a mixed-methods analysis |
| title_short | Women’s perceptions of food safety risks and vendor practices in northern Tanzania: a mixed-methods analysis |
| title_sort | women s perceptions of food safety risks and vendor practices in northern tanzania a mixed methods analysis |
| topic | gender women food safety retail markets |
| url | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/179931 |
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