Table 1.
Sociodemographic characteristics of the study population (n = 577).
| Characteristics | n (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| Gender | Men | 175 (30.3) |
| Women | 402 (69.7) | |
| Age | 18–29 | 280 (48.5) |
| 30–39 | 135 (23.4) | |
| 40–49 | 86 (14.9) | |
| 50–59 | 61 (10.6) | |
| 60+ | 15 (2.6) | |
| Area of residency | Beirut | 244 (42.3) |
| South | 80 (13.9) | |
| North | 27 (4.7) | |
| Mount Lebanon | 193 (33.4) | |
| Bekaa | 23 (4.0) | |
| Other | 10 (1.7) | |
| Education level | Primary school | 15 (2.6) |
| High school | 63 (10.9) | |
| Bachelor degree | 216 (37.4) | |
| Master degree | 233 (40.4) | |
| Technical degree | 25 (4.3) | |
| Other | 25 (4.3) | |
| Monthly income | <1,000,000 L.L | 49 (8.5) |
| 1,000,000–3,000,000 L.L | 152 (26.3) | |
| 3,000,000–5,000,000 L.L | 122 (21.1) | |
| ≥5,000,000 L.L | 237 (41.1) | |
| Other | 17 (2.9) | |
| Experienced symptoms of food-borne disease | Yes | 371 (64.3) |
| No | 206 (35.7) | |
| Rating their food safety knowledge | Excellent | 127 (22.0) |
| Good | 387 (67.1) | |
| Weak | 63 (10.9) | |
| Source of food safety information | Internet/Social media | 303 (52.5) |
| Family/Friends | 83 (14.4) | |
| TV | 11 (1.9) | |
| University | 113 (19.6) | |
| No source | 47 (8.1) | |
| Other | 20 (3.5) | |
| How often do you eat raw meat per week? | More than once/week | 39 (6.8) |
| Once/week | 48 (8.3) | |
| Not every week | 278 (48.2) | |
| Do not eat raw meat | 147 (25.5) | |
| Other | 65 (11.3) | |
| My favorite raw meat dish | Kibbeh 1 | 225 (39.0) |
| Kafta 2 | 85 (14.7) | |
| Liver | 57 (9.9) | |
| All | 110 (19.1) | |
| Other | 100 (17.3) | |
| Do you prefer to buy raw meat for consumption local or imported? | Local | 361 (62.6) |
| Imported | 90 (15.6) | |
| Both | 111 (19.2) | |
| Other | 15 (2.6) | |
| Where do you prefer to buy your raw meat? | Butcher shops | 480 (83.2) |
| Markets | 91 (15.8) | |
| Other | 6 (1.0) |
1 A national dish in Lebanon. It is usually prepared by pounding wheat bulgur with the meat and served with different garnishes such as fresh mint leaves, green onions, and olive oil. 2 Raw meat minced with fresh parsley, basil, spring onions, and spices.