The initial development and validation of a child-oriented food literacy questionnaire

The Dutch Children's Food Literacy Questionnaire (DCFLQ) was developed and validated to assess food literacy among children aged 8-12 years. The DCFLQ is structured around farm-to-fork principles, including questions on food production, distribution, consumption, waste, and sustainability.

After initial item pool creation, the DCFLQ was developed in collaboration with experts and children. The validation process included assessments of reliability and construct validity, as well as a test-retest evaluation in a subgroup of children.

The expert panel consisted of domain-related researchers, a pedagogue, a paediatrician, dietitians and a primary school teacher. Children were recruited via primary schools and a sports club.

A total of eleven experts and twenty-seven children participated in the development process; 608 children participated in the validation process.

The final questionnaire comprised twenty-nine questions and demonstrated good internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0·80) and test-retest reliability (ICC = 0·81). DCFLQ scores positively correlated with age, indicating that food literacy is higher in older children.

The DCFLQ is a valuable tool for assessing the effectiveness of nutrition intervention programmes and monitoring Dutch children's food literacy over time. International expert consensus on developing food literacy instruments is needed, as diversity in assessment tools impedes cross-cultural comparisons.