Reliability and validity of nutrition knowledge, social-psychological factors, and food label use scales from the 1995 Diet and Health Knowledge Survey

Objective To test the reliability and validity of scales on nutrition knowledge, social-psychological factors, and use of food labels developed from the 1995 Diet and Health Knowledge Survey (DHKS) questions. Design The 1995 DHKS questions within a section were pooled together as a scale and their reliability and validity were examined. Participants US adults (≥ 20 years) in the 1995 DHKS who responded to questions selected for this study (n = 1196). Variables Nutrition knowledge about the diet-disease relationship and nutrient content of products, perceived barriers and benefits of food labels, perceived ease of understanding food labels, food label use, and importance of healthful eating. Analysis Scales validity, Cronbach α, item total correlation, α if the item was deleted, and discriminant, convergence, and correspondence validity. Results Scales on perceived ease of understanding the food label, benefits of using food labels, food label use, and importance of healthful eating were reliable (Cronbach α = .78, .82, .91, and .82, respectively) and valid. Conclusion and Implications Accurate findings and interpretation of survey data depend on the use of reliable and valid instruments. This study identified the scales in the DHKS that can substantiate the conclusion on which effective nutrition education strategies should be established.