A multidimensional scale for evaluating food inflation's impact on nutritional behavior

Area of Science:

• Nutrition Science
• Behavioral Economics
• Psychometrics

Background:

• Food inflation significantly impacts individual and community well-being.
• Understanding its effects on nutrition behavior is vital, especially for vulnerable populations.
• Developing a measurement tool is essential for assessing these impacts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a valid and reliable scale measuring the effect of food inflation on nutrition behavior.
• To provide a quantitative tool for researchers and policymakers.

Main Methods:

• A 36-item scale was developed and validated using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis.
• Content validity was assessed using the Lawshe method.
• Reliability was confirmed using internal consistency coefficients.

Main Results:

• The final scale comprises 36 items across four dimensions: food consumption, food insecurity, panic buying, and budget.
• The scale demonstrated strong validity and reliability, with a Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) value of 0.960.
• The four dimensions explained 69.8% of the total variance in nutrition behavior related to food inflation.

Conclusions:

• A robust measurement tool for assessing food inflation's impact on nutrition behavior has been successfully developed.
• This scale can aid in evaluating the consequences of food inflation and informing targeted interventions.
• Food inflation is a critical factor influencing both individual and societal nutrition patterns.