Navigating the urban food frontier: a cross-sectional study to evaluate the determinants of self-reported hygiene practices among street food vendors ( machinga ) in Dodoma region, Tanzania
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Objective This study evaluated self-reported hygienic food-handling practices and their associated factors among street food vendors (machinga) in Dodoma, Tanzania. Design A community-based cross-sectional analytical study. Setting This study was carried out in the central zone, specifically in Dodoma Urban, in Dodoma, the capital city of Tanzania. Participants This study involved street food vendors with varying educational levels, preparing and selling food in restaurants and other open spaces in Dodoma Urban. Outcome measure The primary outcome was self-reported hygienic food-handling practices among street vendors. The secondary outcomes were sociodemographic, institutional and structural predictors associated with optimal hygienic food-handling practices Results The participants’ mean age was 31 years (SD=7.475). Optimal hygienic food-handling practices were self-reported by 58.1% (n=223) of the food vendors. Multivariable analysis revealed that optimal hygiene practices were significantly associated with an age over 42 years (adjusted OR (AOR)=2.72, 95% CI 2.01 to 6.94, p=0.045), having a college or university education (AOR=4.31, 95% CI 2.21 to 9.42, p=0.012), having more than 10 years of vending experience (AOR=3.77, 95% CI 1.06 to 7.03, p=0.041), previous food hygiene training (AOR=6.22, 95% CI 2.90 to 11.46, p=0.001), fear of municipal inspections (AOR=2.85, 95% CI 2.09 to 7.11, p=0.022), reliable access to clean water at the vending site (AOR=5.14, 95% CI 2.22 to 10.73, p=0.008) and past health workshop exposure (AOR=5.46, 95% CI 2.34 to 12.51, p=0.004). Conclusions Nearly three-fifths of Dodoma’s street food vendors (machinga) reported optimal hygiene practices, which are fundamentally shaped by an interplay of individual demographics, institutional oversight and physical infrastructure. To mitigate foodborne disease risks in this rapidly expanding capital, municipal public health strategies should move towards supportive urbanism, implementing subsidised vendor-training programmes, structural regulatory incentives and targeted water infrastructure development to align with Sustainable Development Goal 3.
Source: BMJ Open
Institution: The University of Dodoma
Language: English
Topic: Food Safety and Hygiene
Subfield: Food Science
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $1,839
OpenAlex ID: W7223056101