الفهرس 
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Abstract
Food hygiene is the action taken to ensure that food is handled, stored, prepared and served in such a way to prevent the contamination of food. Poor food hygiene may cause food poisoning outbreaks and eventually loss of lives.
The present work was conducted to assess health needs & problems related to food hygiene practices and assess knowledge and practices of primary school children.
A Descriptive study was done using multistage sample on 503 6th grade primary school children from 10 governmental school, 2 private school and 2 Azhar schools in Elmehalla alkoubra city.
Three tools were used to collect the data:
1-Self administered questionnaire sheet: Was designed to collect the following data:
a- Socio demographic data regarding to a gender, rank, total number of house held members, crowding index, level of education and work of both parents.
B- Questions related to food hygiene knowledge such as:
-Sources of food contamination.
-Diseases which are transmitting by food.
-Signs &symptoms of food borne illness.
-Signs of food spoilage or contamination.
-Criteria of food establishment.
C- Questions related to food hygiene practices:
-Hand washing habits, method of hand washing.
-Healthy behaviors of food handler.
-Washing of vegetables and fruits.
-Storage of food &leftovers.
-The use of suitable temperature and time for cooking.
-Methods of dish washing and cleaning of utensils.
-Methods of insect control.
D– Their concept regarding to operational factors of food handling:
-Nails as a source of disease transmission.
-Irrigation of growing plants with contaminated water
-The use of chemicals and pesticides for growing plants.
-The use of cutting board as a method of cross contamination.
-Cooking temperature & duration.
-Separation of fruits & vegetables from meat, poultry and fish.
-Covering of food.
E - Questions about past history of food borne illness related to eating contaminated food
-Abdominal pain, fever, diarrhea, vomiting and intestinal parasites.
2-Physical assessment sheet was used to measure weight and height, assessment of general appearance by inspection of face, skin and nails.
3-Observation check list was designed to assess school environment in relation to food hygiene including : presence of adequate hand washing facilities, adequate time available for hand washing, cleanliness of bathroom, presence of basket and insects in class room cleanliness of canteen, presence of running water, maintenance of building, pest control, separation of clean and unclean sectors and hot and cold technologies.
The result of the study can be summarized as follows:
•As regards to knowledge score of students (28.2%) had poor knowledge score, (39%) had unsatisfactory knowledge score and (29.8%) had satisfactory knowledge score.
•Regarding to student’s practices (19.2%)of students had poor practices score,(64.9%) had unsatisfactory practices score and (13%) had satisfactory practices score this difference was statistically significant
•There was statistically significant difference between student’s knowledge score and practices score .
•Regarding to health needs the study illustrate that students need education about food hygiene practices using collaboration between school team and families, and provision of sanitary school environment.
•Regarding to health problems the study illustrate that students had knowledge &practices deficiency in addition to unsanitary school environment.
•There was statistically significant difference between student’s practices score and student’s physical health.
•As regards to physical complaints caused by contaminated food the highest percent of students (76.8%) had previous abdominal pain and (48.2%) had previous diarrhea.
•Regarding to the factors affecting food hygiene practices, student’s knowledge and school environment was positively affecting .
In the view of the previous conclusion, the following recommendation are suggested:
1-Guide manual hand book about food hygiene practices should be available for primary school children to help them to identify principals of food hygiene practices& health problem related to improper behavior at food hygiene.
2-Frequent health education for children about healthy habits in attractive way to prevent food borne illnesses through counseling with teachers or school health nurse, and using posters in schools that explain proper food hygiene practices and an account about food borne illnesses.
3-Use practical and visual as possible rather than the traditional lecture. Teaching food safety in family and consumer services (FCS) curricula would be a positive step toward educating a younger population of consumers.
4-School health team should help the students to identify risky environmental aspects that interact with food hygiene and personal factors that affecting hygienic handling of food as health status of food handler- personal hygiene.
5-Collaboration between school staff, school nurse and families to form group of students and train them to educate their peers in classes, school newspaper and school access channel.
6-Advocate for health and safety through avenues by clearly identify the rule of teachers and families in changing the student’s habits, model behavior in hand washing practices and early detection of any signs of food borne disease.
7-Advocate for control barriers that prevent students from following food hygiene practices by: Maintain adequate number of hand sinks provided with warm water & soap modification of course table to Provide adequate time for hand washing before eating school meal.
8-Frequent investigate the physical health of school children to identify any health problem related to improper food hygiene practices and prevent food borne illness outbreak.