Abstract
Objective: To develop a dietary questionnaire on food habits, eating behaviour and nutrition knowledge of adolescents and to examine its reliability.
Design: A cross-sectional baseline survey. The questionnaire was self-administered to study participants twice with 7 days between each administration.
Setting: A school community in Pavia, Italy.
Subjects: A group of students (n=72, aged 14–17 y, both sexes) studying in a secondary school in the second year of the course were invited to compile a dietary questionnaire during school time. Informed written consent was obtained from each subject and their parents. Subjects were initially recruited for a nutrition intervention; recruitment was opportunistic and school based.
Statistical analyses: Reliability was assessed using the Cronbach's alpha and the Pearson correlation coefficients.
Results: Cronbach's alpha ranges from a minimum of 0.55 to a maximum of 0.75, indicating that only two sections have a poor internal consistency. The Pearson correlation coefficients range from a minimum of 0.78 to a maximum of 0.88, indicating a very good temporal stability of the questionnaire. All the Pearson correlation coefficients are statistically significant with P<0.01.
Conclusions: The present questionnaire has the potential to measure the effects of nutrition interventions on adolescents because of its stability in making comparisons over time. The instruments is low in cost and easy to administer and analyse; moreover, it could be modified appropriately to fit the needs of other populations as well.
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Contributions
Guarantors: G Turconi and M Celsa.
Contributors: G Turconi and M Celsa: project of the study and development of the questionnaire. G Biino and C Rezzani: study of validity and reliability. MA Sartirana: collaboration in development of the questionnaire and administration of it. C Roggi: supervisor.
Appendix
Appendix
The questionnaire must be completed in each section; you must answer each item with only one choice; it is important that you complete it by yourself; don’t leave any item without an answer. If you have any doubt don’t hesitate to ask the dietician or the teacher.
Your answers will remain anonymous and the data collected will be used only for research.
Section B. Food Frequency Consumption
Table A1 The items are designed to record your food habits.
When more than one food are present altogether, answer the question “yes” if you consume even only one of these.
Section C. Food Habits
Section D. Physical Activity and Lifestyle
Section E. Healthy and Unhealthy Dietary Habits and Food
Section F. Self-efficacy Table A5
Section G. Barriers to Change
Section H. Nutrition Knowledge
Section I. Knowledge on Food Safety
Section J. Food Safety and Behaviour in Hygene Practices
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Turconi, G., Celsa, M., Rezzani, C. et al. Reliability of a dietary questionnaire on food habits, eating behaviour and nutritional knowledge of adolescents. Eur J Clin Nutr 57, 753–763 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1601607
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1601607
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