Reliability and validity of nutrition knowledge questionnaire for adults.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the validity and reliability of a nutrition knowledge questionnaire for adults in California. METHODS: A convenience sample of adults was recruited for cognitive interviews. A mail-based survey of 400 randomly selected addresses was used to assess internal consistency (Cronbach α). Researchers assessed content validity (Student t test) and test-retest reliability (Pearson correlation) in a convenience sample of university students who had previously taken a college nutrition course, compared with students who had not. RESULTS: Twenty adults participated in cognitive interviews, 94 adults returned the mailed questionnaire, and 48 university students participated in validity and reliability testing. Cronbach α = .91 and test-retest r = 0.95, demonstrating internal consistency reliability and test-retest reliability. Students who had taken a college-level nutrition course scored significantly higher compared with students who had not (P < .001), demonstrating construct validity. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Findings show that the questionnaire is a valid and reliable nutrition knowledge measure for use in California and may be of use in other places.

Pilot study: EatFit impacts sixth graders' academic performance on achievement of mathematics and english education standards.

OBJECTIVE: Investigate the impact of a nutrition education program on student academic performance as measured by achievement of education standards. DESIGN: Quasi-experimental crossover-controlled study. SETTING: California Central Valley suburban elementary school (58% qualified for free or reduced-priced lunch). PARTICIPANTS: All sixth-grade students (n = 84) in the elementary school clustered in 3 classrooms. INTERVENTION: 9-lesson intervention with an emphasis on guided goal setting and driven by the Social Cognitive Theory. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Multiple-choice survey assessing 5 education standards for sixth-grade mathematics and English at 3 time points: baseline (T1), 5 weeks (T2), and 10 weeks (T3). ANALYSIS: Repeated measures, paired t test, and analysis of covariance. RESULTS: Changes in total scores were statistically different (P < .05), with treatment scores (T3 - T2) generating more gains. The change scores for 1 English (P < .01) and 2 mathematics standards (P < .05; P < .001) were statistically greater for the treatment period (T3 - T2) compared to the control period (T2 - T1). CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS: Using standardized tests, results of this pilot study suggest that EatFit can improve academic performance measured by achievement of specific mathematics and English education standards. Nutrition educators can show school administrators and wellness committee members that this program can positively impact academic performance, concomitant to its primary objective of promoting healthful eating and physical activity.

Food insecurity and food supplies in Latino households with young children.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the relationship between food insecurity and food supplies in Latino households. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey, conducted February to May 2001. SETTING: Six California counties. PARTICIPANTS: Convenience sampling was used to recruit 274 low-income Latino families with preschool children from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), Head Start, and other community-based organizations. Complete data were available for 256 families. VARIABLES MEASURED: Food security, household food scores. ANALYSIS: Pearson correlations, Kruskal-Wallis test, and logistics regression. Significance level at P <.05. RESULTS: Controlling for maternal education, food insecurity over the past 3 months was associated with lower household food supplies: dairy, r = -.18, P <.01; fruit, r = -.36, P <.001; grains, r = -.27, P <.0001; meats, r = -.22, P <.001; snack foods, r = -.23, P <.001; and vegetables, r = -.29, P <.001. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: In Latino households, greater food insecurity is associated with a lower variety of most foods, particularly fruits and vegetables. Future research in Latino households should explore the effects of seasonal food insecurity and household food shortages on food intake of individual household members, especially young children.

Food security and nutritional outcomes of preschool-age Mexican-American children.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the relationship of food insecurity to nutrition of Mexican-American preschoolers. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey of low-income Mexican-American families with children of preschool age (3 to 6 years). Data included food security using the Radimer/ Cornell scale; acculturation; parental education; monthly income; past experience of food insecurity; and child weight, height, and frequency of consuming 57 foods. Weight-for-height z scores (WHZ), height- for-age z (HAZ) scores, and the percentage of overweight (> or = 85th percentile WHZ) were calculated. SUBJECTS/SETTING: A convenience sample of Mexican-American families (n=211) was recruited through Head Start, Healthy Start, Migrant Education, and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children in Tulare, Fresno, Monterey, and Kern counties in California. Statistical analyses Analysis of variance, t tests, Spearman's correlations, and Mantel Haenszel chi2. RESULTS: Limited education, lack of English proficiency, and low income were negatively correlated with food security (r = -0.31 to -0.44, P<.0001). After controlling for acculturation, children in severely food-insecure households were less likely to meet Food Guide Pyramid guidelines than other children (median number of food groups > or = recommended levels [interquartile range]: 2.0 (2.0) vs 3.0 (2.0), P<.006). Although WHZ (mean +/- SD = 1.28 +/- 1.80) and percent overweight (48%, N=19) tended to peak among children from household level food insecure families, no significant differences were found in weight or height status of children by level of food insecurity. APPLICATIONS/CONCLUSIONS: Dietetics professionals working with low-income Hispanic-American families should screen for different levels of food insecurity to determine needs for nutrition education and other services.