[Validation of eating habits subscale in children (sehan: spanish version) from 10 to 12 years]

The vulnerability of children and the current epidemiological situation requires the use of validated instruments to study their eating habits in contexts like home and school.

Validating a subscale Eating Habits in Children, aged between 10 and 12 years.

To study the validity and the internal logic of the instrument, 5 experts rated each item and afterwards, the canonical coefficient concordance (CCC) was calculated. 134 students completed the subscale two times to ensure the study consistency and reliability. The Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC), the Spearman Correlation Coefficient (SCC) and Wilcoxon test were calculated. 187 students were involved for the criterion validity. The SCC between BMI and triceps skinfold (TS) was assessed with the final subscale score.

The subscale was finally composed by 27 items. The experts score was 3.94 (out of 4 possible points). The CCC was 83.04%. Wilcoxon result was (p<.05) to each item. Result of ICC> .06 was obtained to 81.86% of the subscale. The ICC was (range 467-914)for 25 out of the 27 items. The CCS was (range 350-777)(p <.01) in 25 out of the 27 variables. The SCC for criteria validity of de Subescale with BMI and PLT was in both cases (p<.05).

It is proven that this subscale is a valid instrument, reliable, simple, with fast delivery and easy understanding.