Environmental pollutant awareness, food handling practices, and risk communication among market stakeholders in Kwara State, Nigeria: a cross-sectional survey.

Authors

G K Olawepo, A T Mahmud, F O Muhammadjamiu, S A Adeyemi, N O Lawal, S O Sa'ad

Published in

Frontiers in public health. Volume 14. Pages 1922269. Epub Sep 23, 2026.

Abstract

Environmental pollutants threaten food safety and public health, particularly within market environments where food handling and distribution occur. This study examined environmental pollutant awareness among market stakeholders and its implications for public health risk communication in selected markets in Kwara State, Nigeria.
A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 120 respondents selected from Ganmo, Oke-Oyi, and Oko-Olowo markets using structured questionnaires. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and chi-square tests at a 5% significance level.
The respondents were predominantly female (66.7%), married (78.3%), and vendors (69.2%). Environmental pollutant awareness was high across the three markets, with all respondents reporting awareness of associated risks. Risk perception varied by location, with strong agreement regarding environmental risks reaching 100.0% in Oke-Oyi. Media channels constituted the major communication source across the markets (60.0-67.5%). Location (χ² = 9.202, p= 0.010) and risk perception (χ² = 66.930, p < 0.001) were significantly associated with environmental pollutant awareness.
Environmental pollutant awareness was universally reported among market stakeholders, whereas risk perception and food-handling practices varied across markets and respondent characteristics. The observed associations between respondents' characteristics and risk perception should be interpreted as unadjusted associations rather than causal effects. Strengthening location-specific risk communication, media-based environmental education, and market-focused food safety interventions is recommended to support improved risk understanding and safer food-handling practices.

PMID:
42846090
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 08 Oct 2026.

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