Construct Validation of Measures Used for Assessing the Effect of Nutrition Education on the Lifestyles of Third-Grade Children

• Activity Number: 666
• Type: Contributed
• Date/Time: Thursday, August 2, 2012 : 10:30 AM to 12:20 PM
• Sponsor: Health Policy Statistics Section
• Author(s): Mack Shelley*+ and Doris Montgomery and Xia Chen and Marilyn Jones and Christine Hradek and Natalia Frishman
• Companies: Iowa State University and Iowa Department of Public Health and Iowa Department of Public Health and Iowa Department of Public Health and Iowa Department of Public Health and Iowa State University
• Keywords: confirmatory factor analysis ; multitrait-multimethod matrix ; convergent validity ; program intervention ; nutrition education ; healthy lifestyle

Abstract

This study investigates the construct validity of methods used to evaluate the effect of nutrition education on the lifestyles of third grade children from Iowa schools who participated in nutrition education lessons provided by the Iowa Department of Public Health's program in 2009, 2010, and 2011. The traits consist of respondents' knowledge about a healthy life style, self-efficacy related to respondents' confidence in their ability to adhere to a healthy lifestyle, and food preferences. Each trait was measured by four methods: children's assessment before program intervention, children's assessment after program intervention, parents' assessment before program intervention, and parents' assessment after program intervention. A multitrait-multimethod matrix and confirmatory factor analysis were used to assess construct validity. The results show that the assessments of knowledge, self