Control beliefs and engagement in hygienic and safety behaviours: the case of foodborne illness

Foodborne illness is an ever-growing concern in public health. Studies found that conventional training is not enough to cause employees to apply the hygiene and safety measures. The present study explores control and fatalistic beliefs as potential factors for explaining engagement in preventive actions. Two-hundred and seventeen employees of a fast-food restaurant (75 % of all staff) answered a questionnaire assessing their control beliefs, fatalistic beliefs, risk perception, and engagement in hygienic and safety behaviours. The results validated our hypotheses. Control beliefs were positively related to engagement in hygienic and safety behaviours (b = 0.43, p < 0.001). The inverse relation was observed for fatalistic beliefs (b = − 0.24, p < 0.001). The perceived effectiveness of the prescribed measures seems to be the best predictor of engagement in preventive behaviours, followed by perceived self-efficacy. To increase adherence to preventive measures, it is recommended to enhance staff’s self-efficacy and perceived effectiveness of these measures.