Assessment of Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Backyard Slaughtering System in Hawassa and Yirgalem Towns, Sidama Regional State, Ethiopia - Abstract
A cross-sectional survey was carried out to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of backyard slaughtering, and to investigate associated risk factors in Hawassa and Yirgalem towns, Sidama Regional state, Ethiopia. Out of 288 respondents in both study areas, 215 (74.65%) and 70 (24.3%) had knowledge about zoonosis and food borne diseases, respectively. Moreover, the knowledge of respondents toward zoonosis significantly varies with educational occupation and income levels (p < 0.05). Thereby, respondents at college level and above, and those work in civil servant having salary above 3,500 birr average monthly income had more knowledge towards zoonosis. The knowledge of respondents towards health problems significantly associated with the towns (p < 0.05). The result reveals that 26.6% and 12% respondents from Hawassa town and Yirgalem, respectively, had knowledge about food borne diseases. The attitudes of respondents willing to use abattoir for sheep and goats had statistically significant association with education level, occupation, and average monthly income (p < 0.05). Respondents at college level and above (87.32% and 78.14%), civil servant (84.56%), and persons earning above 3,500 birr monthly income (85.42%) had more attitudes to use sheep and goats abattoir. Out of the total respondents, 59 (20%) work on slaughtering cattle and 229 (80%) are assigned on slaughtering sheep and goats at their backyards. The practices of respondents significantly associated with family responsibility, sex, religion and occupations (p < 0.05). The current study revealed that there are numerous gaps about knowledge, attitude and practices of the residents regarding to zoonotic disease and abattoir usage that will in turn
predisposing them to various health problems mainly to animal origin food borne diseases and other zoonosis. Therefore, educating the wider community about the importance of legal places for slaughtering and the risks associated with the backyard slaughtering is recommended. Moreover, further research should be conducted to fill the research gap in other parts of the country.