Aghdas Moghaddam - Department of Food Safety and Hygiene, School of Health, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran.
Hassan Hassanzadazar - Department of Food Safety and Hygiene, School of Health, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran.
Mohammad Masoud Vakili - Department of Health Promotion and Education, School of Public Health, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran.
Fatemeh Jafari - Department of Public Health, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran.
Majid Aminzare - Department of Food Safety and Hygiene, School of Health, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran.

Background: The studies on children and adolescents provide the basic information for educational interventions such as the assessment of the knowledge of community health promotion. The present study aimed to evaluate the knowledge, attitude, and practices of secondary high school students regarding food safety and hygiene in Khorramdarreh, Zanjan, Iran. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on ۶۴۰ secondary high school students during December ۲۰۱۴-December ۲۰۱۵. The participants were selected via cluster sampling, and data were collected using a researcher-made questionnaire after assessing its validity and reliability. Data analysis was performed in SPSS version ۱۶. Results: The mean scores of the knowledge, attitude, and practices of the students were ۳۶.۶±۶.۹۶ (moderate), ۵۷.۹۵±۶.۸۸ (favorable), and ۴۰.۵۹±۵.۸۰ (favorable), respectively. The lowest knowledge level of the students was observed in milk and egg hygiene (۲۷%), meat hygiene (۳۵%), effect of temperature on microorganisms (۳۵%), and brucellosis-related aspects (۷.۳۳%). Conclusion: Although the students had a positive attitude toward food safety, they had inadequate knowledge of the effects on their practices. Therefore, it seems that training is essential in the food safety and hygiene fields for students and their parents.

Attitude, Food safety and hygiene, Knowledge, Practice, Secondary high school students