# Role of Food Safety Risk Perception and Attitude on Knowledge and Practice of Adult Consumers in Bangladesh: A Serial Mediation Model

## TL;DR

This study shows how food safety knowledge in Bangladesh influences practices through risk perception and attitude, with half the effect being indirect.

## Contribution

The study introduces a serial mediation model showing how risk perception and attitude link food safety knowledge to practice.

## Key findings

- Behavior-specific risk perception partially mediates the link between food safety knowledge and practice.
- Risk perception significantly influences attitude and food safety practice.
- Indirect effects account for 50% of the total effect of knowledge on practice.

## Abstract

This study aimed to determine the serial mediation effects of behavior‐specific risk perception (BRP) and attitude (ATT) toward food safety on the relationship between food safety knowledge (FSK) and self‐reported practice (FSP) among adult consumers in Bangladesh. This study conducted a cross‐sectional survey on cross‐contamination, safe storage, and cooking toward food safety among 503 consumers who handled food at home. The serial mediation effects were examined by using Hayes' PROCESS macro‐Model 6 for SPSS. The results showed that BRP partially mediated the relationship between FSK and FSP independently (Effect = 0.175, 95% CI: 0.114 to 0.243). BRP was significantly positively associated with ATT (Effect = 1.28, p < 0.001) and FSP (Effect = 0.532, p < 0.001), forming a serial mediation pathway (Effect = 0.065, 95% CI: 0.037 to 0.099). The total indirect effect of all mediation paths accounted for 50% of the total effect of food safety knowledge on food safety practice.

Using cross‐sectional data from 503 Bangladeshi adult consumers and applying Hayes' PROCESS macro for serial mediation analysis, this study shows that food safety knowledge affects food safety practices both directly and indirectly through behavior risk perception and attitude. Risk perception partially mediated the knowledge–practice relationship and fostered positive attitudes, forming a significant serial mediation pathway. Overall, indirect effects accounted for nearly half of the total effect, highlighting the critical role of psychosocial factors in improving domestic food safety practices.