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Title: MEASUREMENT CHARACTERISTICS OF DIET-RELATED PSYCHOSOCIAL QUESTIONNAIRES AMONG AFRICAN-AMERICAN PARENTS AND THEIR 8- TO 10-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTERS: RESULTS FROM THE GIRLS' HEALTH ENRICHMENT MULTI-SITE STUDIES.

Author
item Cullen, Karen
item KLESGES, LISA - UNIV OF MEMPHIS
item SHERWOOD, NANCY - HEALTH PARTNERS RES FOUND
item Baranowski, Thomas
item BEECH, BETTINA - UNIV OF MEMPHIS
item PRATT, CHARLOTTE - NAT HEART,LUNG&BLOOD INST
item ZHOU, AINONG - GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIV
item ROCHON, JAMES - DUKE CLINICAL RES INSTIT

Submitted to: Preventive Medicine
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/1/2004
Publication Date: 5/1/2004
Citation: Cullen, K.W., Klesges, L.M., Sherwood, N.E., Baranowski, T., Beech, B., Pratt, C., Zhou, A., Rochon, J. 2004. Measurement characteristics of diet-related psychosocial questionnaires among African-American parents and their 8- to 10-year-old daughters: results from the Girls' health Enrichment Multi-site Studies. Preventive Medicine. 38 supp: S34-S42.

Interpretive Summary: This paper reports whether several food-related questionnaires were reliable and valid. Parents/caregivers of 150 8-10 year old African-American completed questionnaires on food preparation habits for their daughter, perceived home barriers to healthy eating, and fruit, juice, vegetable (FJV), low-fat and high-fat food availability. Girls completed a sweetened beverage preferences questionnaire and two 24-hour dietary recalls to assess intake. Girls whose parents reported more high fat food preparation practices had higher fat diets and girls whose parents reported more low fat food preparation practices had lower fat achieved construct validity with fat consumption in the hypothesized direction. Family food preparation habits appear to be important targets for future interventions.

Technical Abstract: This paper presents the reliability and validity of several diet-related psychosocial questionnaires. At baseline and 12 weeks follow-up, parents/caregivers of one hundred fifty 8- to 10-year-old African-American completed questionnaires on food preparation habits for their daughter, perceived home barriers to healthy eating, and fruit, juice, vegetable (FJV), low-fat and high-fat food availability. Girls completed a sweetened beverage preferences questionnaire and two 24-h dietary recalls to assess intake. Principal components analyses were conducted for two newly designed measures. Internal consistency was calculated and construct validity was assessed between the psychosocial scales and obesity-related dietary variables. As a result, low-fat and high-fat food preparation for daughters, and perceived home barriers to eating low-fat food and FJV subscales were derived from the new questionnaires. Internal consistency reliabilities were moderate (0.58) to substantial (0.80) across all new and existing scales. Test-retest reliabilities were moderate (0.44) to substantial (0.79). Girls' intake of fat as a percentage of energy was positively related to parental high-fat food preparation for daughters (P < 0.01) and negatively related to parental low-fat food preparation practices for daughters (P < 0.05). In conclusion, measures of family influences on FJV, fat, and sweetened beverage consumption were internally consistent with moderate to substantial stability. Scales for low-fat and high-fat food preparation practices for daughters achieved construct validity with fat consumption in the hypothesized direction. Family food preparation habits appear to be important targets for future interventions.