Development of a Food Insecurity Screening Instrument

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Nutrition Science
• Psychometrics

Background:

• Food insecurity is a significant global challenge requiring effective assessment tools.
• Existing methods for detecting food insecurity need practical and validated instruments for diverse populations.
• The development of a screening tool is crucial for understanding and addressing food insecurity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a practical screening tool for food insecurity.
• To assess the psychometric properties of the newly developed instrument.
• To provide a reliable method for identifying food insecurity in families and communities.

Main Methods:

• The Food Insecurity Screening Instrument (FISI) was developed using literature review and qualitative data from 30 female food providers in Bangkok.
• Content validity was assessed by five experts, and reliability was tested with 350 food providers.
• Exploratory factor analysis was employed to determine construct validity, identifying four key factors.

Main Results:

• The FISI demonstrated good content validity and high reliability among the tested population.
• Item analysis confirmed good internal consistency, with minor adjustments.
• Exploratory factor analysis revealed four factors: food quantity, quality, safety, and anxiety, explaining 74.9% of the variance.

Conclusions:

• The developed FISI is a valid and reliable instrument for screening food insecurity.
• The tool has been recognized and supported by policymakers in Thailand.
• The FISI has been successfully implemented in national surveys and post-disaster assessments in Thailand.