Development and Validation of a Food Systems Knowledge and Attitudes Survey for College Students

ABSTRACT

This study aimed to develop a food systems knowledge and attitudes survey for college students. Sixty-eight initial items were generated. Items were removed after content and face validity, item analysis, and exploratory factor analysis. During confirmatory factor analysis, a 22-item, 2-factor structure was the best fit for the data (comparative fit index = .847 and root-mean-square error of approximation = .010). Both knowledge and attitude scales were reliable (α = .77 and .85, respectively), and there were associations between scales and validation criteria (P < .05). Nutrition researchers and educators may use this survey in the college setting.

KEYWORDS:

• Survey development
• food systems
• attitude
• knowledge
• food systems survey

Acknowledgments

The research team would like to thank Leah Patrick and Amanda Herring for their help in the validation process and all the participants who helped develop this survey.

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture [2014-67001-21851].