Food insecurity questionnaire on knowledge, attitudes, and practices for perinatal care professionals

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Maternal-Child Health
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Perinatal care professionals have opportunities to screen for food insecurity but may face personal barriers.
• A validated tool is needed to assess and improve professionals' readiness for universal food insecurity screening.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop, validate, and pilot the Food Insecurity Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices questionnaire (KAP-FI).
• To support the implementation of universal food insecurity screening among perinatal care providers.

Main Methods:

• A multi-step process involving questionnaire development, content and face validation, reliability, readability testing, and a pilot assessment.
• The pilot involved 72 perinatal care professionals in Clark County, Nevada.

Main Results:

• The KAP-FI questionnaire has 53 items.
• Only 60% of professionals were aware of the Hunger Vital Sign™ screening tool, and half doubted its benefit.
• Despite awareness gaps, professionals recognized screening, referral, and follow-up increase patient trust; 40% use reminders for screening.

Conclusions:

• The KAP-FI is a suitable and practical tool for assessing perinatal care professionals' baseline knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to food insecurity.
• The tool can identify barriers and facilitators to addressing food insecurity in perinatal care settings.