ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Sustain. Food Syst.
Sec. Agro-Food Safety
Volume 9 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fsufs.2025.1592661
Cassava cyanide knowledge, Risk Perception, and Adoption of Preventive Measures in Northwestern Uganda: A moderated mediation perspective
Provisionally accepted
- Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
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Background: With widely adequate efforts to promote food (cassava) safety, adoption still remains low. This study explored cassava cyanide poisoning knowledge, perceived threat, and adoption of preventive measures in Northwestern Uganda.Methods: Data were collected using Focus group discussions (10), in-depth individual interviews (10), and household interviews (420). Participants responded to a culturally specific questionnaire comprising demographic inquiries, and adapted questions from the qualitative findings on knowledge, perceived threat, and adoption of preventive measures.Results: Perceived threat mediated the path between knowledge and adoption of preventive measures and the indirect effect was moderated by education but not gender. In other words, having knowledge on cassava cyanide poisoning was interconnected to adoption of preventive measures through risk perception of educated respondents.From the Health belief Model perspective, the study recommends that cassava cyanide poisoning responsiveness campaigns should hinge on raising awareness of the risk associated with cyanide poisoning to motivate households adopt recommended preventive measures.
Keywords: Cassava cyanide Poisoning; knowledge; perceived threat; adoption of preventive measures, Uganda, Cassava cyanide knowledge, Risk Perception, Preventive measures
Received: 12 Mar 2025; Accepted: 15 Jul 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Apil, Mulugo, Atekyereza and Obaa. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Jenifer Apil, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
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