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Construct and Criterion Validity of the Comprehensive Food Skills Questionnaire (CFSQ)
Tahlia Ulloa1, Jinghan Wang2, Ying Tong Yang3
1Registered Dietitian, Community Health Centres of Northumberland, 99 Toronto Road, Port Hope, ON, Canada, L1A 3S4; Past affiliation: Graduate Student, Brescia School of Food and Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Western University, 1151 Richmond St, London ON, Canada, N6A 3K7.
Background:
Increased implementation of teaching kitchens requires a tool with adequate psychometric properties for assessing food skills. One such tool is the 39-item Food Skills Questionnaire (FSQ), with established face and content validity, and inter-item and test-retest reliability. Recently, 8-items were added to create the Comprehensive Food Skills Questionnaire (CFSQ), requiring further validation.
Objective:
The objective of this study was to assess construct and criterion validity of the CFSQ.
Design:
This study used a pre-post-study design.
Participants/Setting:
Year 1 (n=234; Sept. 2023 and Jan. 2024) and 2 (n=88; Sept. 2022) students in foods and nutrition courses at a Canadian university, completed the CFSQ pre-course; with n=177 (Dec. 2023 and Apr. 2024) and n=80 post-course responses (Apr. 2023), respectively.
Main Outcome Measured:
The primary outcome was total food skills (TFS), assessed in three domains: Food Selection and Planning; Food Preparation; and Food Safety and Storage.
Statistical Analysis:
T-tests and ANOVAs were used to test known-group construct validity, and criterion validity was assessed using a one-sample t-test, Bland-Altman plot, and linear regression.
Results:
TFS (mean±SD) were significantly higher in known groups: females vs. males (year 1, 70.1±11.5 vs. 63.0±14.7, respectively; p=0.02); those with vs. without a previous foods/nutrition/cooking course (year 1, 70.2±11.3 vs. 66.3±14.0, respectively, p=0.048); primary vs. non-primary cooks (year 1, 74.1±12.2 vs. 66.5±11.5, p<0.001; year 2, 80.8±9.4 vs. 69.4±14.1, respectively, p<0.001), greater vs. less teen meal preparation (year 1, 74.4±11.5 vs. 64.1±12.5, p<0.001; year 2, 80.2±9.3 vs. 67.9±17.2, respectively, p<0.01), and post- vs. pre-course (year 1, 71.8±11.5 vs. 68.9±12.1, p<0.001; year 2, 82.1±9.8 vs. 76.0±12.8, respectively, p<0.001). A hypothesized group, greater vs. less teen grocery shopping was also significantly higher (year 1, 73.8±10.4 vs. 64.3±12.2, p<0.001; year 2, 78.7±10.0 vs. 65.5±17.4, respectively, p<0.01). A one-sample t-test comparing the mean difference of TFS and course evaluations (-0.89±13.4) to zero was not significant (p=0.58). Bland-Altman plot and linear regression (unstandardized beta coefficient=-0.084, p=0.71) indicated no proportional bias.
Conclusions:
The CFSQ demonstrates good construct and criterion validity and is appropriate for assessing food skills in research or practice-based teaching kitchens.
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