Studies on vendor awareness of the need for handwashing (n = 22, 48%) provided mixed evidence (Table 4). In the 11 studies where vendors were asked about the need for handwashing before or after specific activities, the majority gave a positive response (Table 4). Two of these studies additionally reported observed behaviour and noted discrepancies between vendor awareness and behaviour (Lawan et al. 2015; Wainaina et al. 2020). While 90% of the vendors surveyed by Wainaina et al. (2020) were aware of the need for handwashing before handling food to prevent illnesses, only 26% were observed doing so. The reported barriers to handwashing in this study were a lack of water for handwashing (18%), a lack of time (33%) and the belief among vendors that the type of food they sold did not need handwashing before handling (50%). However, the type of food sold by these vendors was not reported.
Studies assessing vendor awareness of handwashing
| Indicator . | Number of studies . | % of vendors who gave a positive response (range) . |
|---|---|---|
| Awareness of need to wash hands: | ||
| After using the toilet | 5 | 66–100 |
| After touching money | 5 | 5–97 |
| After blowing their nose | 2 | 6–99 |
| Before handling food | 5 | 27–99 |
| After touching raw meat | 1 | 91 |
| After handling garbage | 2 | 15–52 |
| Before and after food preparation | 3 | 68–97 |
| Awareness of need for: | ||
| Soap | 6 | 39–96 |
| Clean towels | 4 | 14–96 |
| Disinfecting solution | 2 | 2–62 |
| Awareness that contaminated food, water and hands can cause disease | 12 | 4–95 |
| Awareness that handwashing can reduce risk of food contamination and disease | 8 | 90–100 |
| Indicator . | Number of studies . | % of vendors who gave a positive response (range) . |
|---|---|---|
| Awareness of need to wash hands: | ||
| After using the toilet | 5 | 66–100 |
| After touching money | 5 | 5–97 |
| After blowing their nose | 2 | 6–99 |
| Before handling food | 5 | 27–99 |
| After touching raw meat | 1 | 91 |
| After handling garbage | 2 | 15–52 |
| Before and after food preparation | 3 | 68–97 |
| Awareness of need for: | ||
| Soap | 6 | 39–96 |
| Clean towels | 4 | 14–96 |
| Disinfecting solution | 2 | 2–62 |
| Awareness that contaminated food, water and hands can cause disease | 12 | 4–95 |
| Awareness that handwashing can reduce risk of food contamination and disease | 8 | 90–100 |