Consumers' Knowledge and Handling Practices of the Watermelon

Abstract

The cross-sectional survey design was used to investigate the knowledge and handling practices of 200 watermelon consumers who were purposively selected for the study. Data were collected using structured interview guide, consisting of both closed and open-ended items, while SPSS version 17 was used for the analysis. The respondents' knowledge on vitamin C content of watermelons was collected through a five-point Likert scale and presented using frequency and percentage tables. A One-way ANOVA was used to test if the differences between the means obtained from respondents of different educational levels and occupations were significant at 95% confidence level.

Among the findings was that out of the 11 statements on respondents' knowledge on factors affecting vitamin C content of watermelons, respondents agreed with only four of them. The manner watermelons were handled by respondents revealed that despite respondents' high educational levels, their knowledge vitamin C conservation in watermelons was not encouraging. The recommendations were that sliced watermelons should be consumed immediately and they must be kept in cool temperatures to conserve the vitamin C. Consumers should be educated to avoid purchasing watermelons that have been kept under the sun, whether sliced or whole.