Methodology for Developing a New EFNEP Food and Physical Activity Behaviors Questionnaire

Area of Science:

• Nutrition education research
• Public health interventions
• Behavioral science

Background:

• The Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) is a USDA initiative supporting low-income families.
• Evaluating EFNEP's effectiveness requires accurate measurement of participant behaviors.
• Existing tools may not comprehensively capture the multifaceted behaviors relevant to EFNEP.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the research methods for developing a valid and reliable food and physical activity behaviors questionnaire.
• To create a standardized tool for assessing behavioral outcomes in EFNEP participants.
• To ensure the questionnaire accurately reflects diet quality, physical activity, food safety, food security, and food resource management.

Main Methods:

• A 5-stage mixed-methods development process was employed, including concept prioritization, question generation, cognitive interviews, and content analysis.
• The study involved a national research effort coordinating questionnaire development and testing.
• Convenience samples of low-income adults participating in or eligible for EFNEP were recruited across the US.

Main Results:

• The development process focused on ensuring content, face, and construct validity.
• Test-retest reliability was assessed using statistical methods including paired t tests and correlation coefficients.
• Construct validity was evaluated through various statistical analyses and graphical methods.

Conclusions:

• A nationally validated and reliable questionnaire for assessing food and physical activity behaviors in low-income adults was developed.
• This tool is designed to effectively evaluate the impact and outcomes of the EFNEP.
• The questionnaire provides a crucial measure for understanding behavioral changes in response to nutrition education programs.