Validity and Reliability of a Nutrition Knowledge Questionnaire for High School-Aged Adolescents

Objective: To determine the validity and reliability of a nutrition knowledge questionnaire for adolescents. Methods: An adult questionnaire was administered to 4 high school student convenience samples with and without known prior nutrition education. Questionnaire refinement was determined by item-total correlation, item discrimination, and item difficulty. Mean percentage of correct answers was calculated, and the group difference was assessed using an independent samples t test. A post hoc regression analyzed the association between mean percentage of correct answers and group while controlling for school. Results: The questionnaire, with 1 question eliminated, had good internal consistency reliability (Cronbach alpha = 0.83). The nutrition education group (n = 174) demonstrated significantly (P < 0.0001) higher mean percentage of correct answers compared with the no nutrition education group (n = 136). The association between mean percentage of correct answers and the group remained with school controlled. Conclusions and Implications: Results suggest that the questionnaire is valid and reliable for measuring nutrition knowledge in high school-aged adolescents.