IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v17y2020i8p2759-d346379.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Validity and Internal Consistency of the Preschool-FLAT, a New Tool for the Assessment of Food Literacy in Young Children from the Training-To-Health Project

Author

Listed:
  • Garden Tabacchi

    (Department of Psychology, Educational Science and Human Movement, University of Palermo, 90144 Palermo, Italy)

  • Giuseppe Battaglia

    (Department of Psychology, Educational Science and Human Movement, University of Palermo, 90144 Palermo, Italy)

  • Giuseppe Messina

    (Department of Psychology, Educational Science and Human Movement, University of Palermo, 90144 Palermo, Italy)

  • Antonio Paoli

    (Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, 35121 Padova, Italy)

  • Antonio Palma

    (Department of Psychology, Educational Science and Human Movement, University of Palermo, 90144 Palermo, Italy)

  • Marianna Bellafiore

    (Department of Psychology, Educational Science and Human Movement, University of Palermo, 90144 Palermo, Italy)

Abstract

Background: The importance of assessing “food literacy” since youth has been highlighted and, to this purpose, valid and consistent instruments are needed. This study aimed to assess the validity and internal consistency of the preschool-FLAT (Food Literacy Assessment Tool). Methods. 505 children from 21 kindergartens, recruited within the Training-to-Health Project in Palermo (Italy), underwent oral sessions and activities on food-related aspects. Their knowledge/skills were recorded in the preschool-FLAT. The following scale measures were assessed: Content validity; internal consistency (Chronbach’s alpha coefficients); construct validity (Structural Equation Modeling—SEM); discriminant validity (intervention subgroup of 100 children vs. control group of 27 children). Results. Acceptable content validity of a 16-items scale and overall adequate internal consistency were revealed: Content validity index (CVI) 0.94, content validity ratio (CVR) 0.88, Chronbach’s alpha 0.76. The SEM revealed a 4-factor model fitting the data well (comparative fit index 0.939, root mean square error of approximation 0.033). Discriminant validity was good (intervention group scoring higher than control, p < 0.001, unpaired Student’s t-test). Conclusion. The preschool-FLAT revealed good psychometric properties, adequate validity and internal consistency. This is the only instrument in the literature specifically targeted to 3–6 years old children that could be effectively used to assess food literacy.

Suggested Citation

  • Garden Tabacchi & Giuseppe Battaglia & Giuseppe Messina & Antonio Paoli & Antonio Palma & Marianna Bellafiore, 2020. "Validity and Internal Consistency of the Preschool-FLAT, a New Tool for the Assessment of Food Literacy in Young Children from the Training-To-Health Project," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(8), pages 1-15, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:8:p:2759-:d:346379
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/8/2759/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/8/2759/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Nutbeam, Don, 2008. "The evolving concept of health literacy," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 67(12), pages 2072-2078, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Hala Mohsen & Yonna Sacre & Lara Hanna-Wakim & Maha Hoteit, 2022. "Nutrition and Food Literacy in the MENA Region: A Review to Inform Nutrition Research and Policy Makers," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(16), pages 1-25, August.
    2. Garden Tabacchi & Luca Petrigna & Giuseppe Battaglia & Giovanni Navarra & Antonio Palma & Marianna Bellafiore, 2021. "An Interaction Path of Mothers’ and Preschoolers’ Food- and Physical Activity-Related Aspects in Disadvantaged Sicilian Urban Areas," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(6), pages 1-13, March.
    3. Virginia Vettori & Chiara Lorini & Heather D. Gibbs & Francesco Sofi & Vieri Lastrucci & Gino Sartor & Ilaria Fulvi & Duccio Giorgetti & Giuseppe Cavallo & Guglielmo Bonaccorsi, 2021. "The Nutrition Literacy Assessment Instrument for Italian Subjects, NLit-IT: Exploring Validity and Reliability," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(7), pages 1-19, March.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Maricel G. Santos & Anu L. Gorukanti & Lina M. Jurkunas & Margaret A. Handley, 2018. "The Health Literacy of U.S. Immigrant Adolescents: A Neglected Research Priority in a Changing World," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(10), pages 1-18, September.
    2. Apiradee Nantsupawat & Orn‐Anong Wichaikhum & Kulwadee Abhicharttibutra & Wipada Kunaviktikul & Mohd Said Bin Nurumal & Lusine Poghosyan, 2020. "Nurses' knowledge of health literacy, communication techniques, and barriers to the implementation of health literacy programs: A cross‐sectional study," Nursing & Health Sciences, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 22(3), pages 577-585, September.
    3. Chiao Ling Huang & Shu-Ching Yang & Chia-Hsun Chiang, 2020. "The Associations between Individual Factors, eHealth Literacy, and Health Behaviors among College Students," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(6), pages 1-13, March.
    4. Yuji Kanejima & Kazuhiro P. Izawa & Masahiro Kitamura & Kodai Ishihara & Asami Ogura & Ikko Kubo & Hitomi Nagashima & Hideto Tawa & Daisuke Matsumoto & Ikki Shimizu, 2022. "Health Literacy Is Associated with Activities of Daily Living of Patients Participating in Cardiac Rehabilitation: A Multicenter Clinical Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(24), pages 1-10, December.
    5. Constanze Hübner & Mariya Lorke & Annika Buchholz & Stefanie Frech & Laura Harzheim & Sabine Schulz & Saskia Jünger & Christiane Woopen, 2022. "Health Literacy in the Context of Implant Care—Perspectives of (Prospective) Implant Wearers on Individual and Organisational Factors," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(12), pages 1-36, June.
    6. Setti Rais Ali & Paul Dourgnon & Lise Rochaix, 2018. "Social Capital or Education: What Matters Most to Cut Time to Diagnosis?," Working Papers halshs-01703170, HAL.
    7. Sasha A. Fleary & Carolina Gonçalves & Patrece L. Joseph & Dwayne M. Baker, 2022. "Census Tract Demographics Associated with Libraries’ Social, Economic, and Health-Related Programming," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(11), pages 1-13, May.
    8. Samuel G Smith & Laura M Curtis & Jane Wardle & Christian von Wagner & Michael S Wolf, 2013. "Skill Set or Mind Set? Associations between Health Literacy, Patient Activation and Health," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 8(9), pages 1-7, September.
    9. Davillas, Apostolos & de Oliveira, Victor Hugo & Jones, Andrew M., 2023. "Is inconsistent reporting of self-assessed health persistent and systematic? Evidence from the UKHLS," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 49(C).
    10. Virginia Vettori & Chiara Lorini & Chiara Milani & Guglielmo Bonaccorsi, 2019. "Towards the Implementation of a Conceptual Framework of Food and Nutrition Literacy: Providing Healthy Eating for the Population," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(24), pages 1-21, December.
    11. Ying Wu & Lu Wang & Zhongyuan Cai & Luqi Bao & Pu Ai & Zisheng Ai, 2017. "Prevalence and Risk Factors of Low Health Literacy: A Community-Based Study in Shanghai, China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-10, June.
    12. Mitja Vrdelja & Sanja Vrbovšek & Vito Klopčič & Kevin Dadaczynski & Orkan Okan, 2021. "Facing the Growing COVID-19 Infodemic: Digital Health Literacy and Information-Seeking Behaviour of University Students in Slovenia," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(16), pages 1-16, August.
    13. Shyam Sundar Budhathoki & Melanie Hawkins & Gerald Elsworth & Michael T. Fahey & Jeevan Thapa & Sandeepa Karki & Lila Bahadur Basnet & Paras K. Pokharel & Richard H. Osborne, 2022. "Use of the English Health Literacy Questionnaire (HLQ) with Health Science University Students in Nepal: A Validity Testing Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(6), pages 1-14, March.
    14. Patrizio Zanobini & Chiara Lorini & Alberto Baldasseroni & Claudia Dellisanti & Guglielmo Bonaccorsi, 2020. "A Scoping Review on How to Make Hospitals Health Literate Healthcare Organizations," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(3), pages 1-16, February.
    15. Linda Stein & Maud Bergdahl & Kjell Sverre Pettersen & Jan Bergdahl, 2018. "Effects of the Conceptual Model of Health Literacy as a Risk: A Randomised Controlled Trial in a Clinical Dental Context," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(8), pages 1-11, August.
    16. Yoon K Loke & Ina Hinz & Xia Wang & Gill Rowlands & David Scott & Charlotte Salter, 2012. "Impact of Health Literacy in Patients with Chronic Musculoskeletal Disease–Systematic Review," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 7(7), pages 1-8, July.
    17. Padmore Adusei Amoah, 2019. "The Relationship between Functional Health Literacy, Self-Rated Health, and Social Support between Younger and Older Adults in Ghana," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(17), pages 1-14, August.
    18. Veronika Anselmann & Simone Halder & Sophie Sauer, 2024. "Nursing Students’ Health Literacy and Strategies to Foster Patients’ Health Literacy," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 21(8), pages 1-9, August.
    19. Ana Cristina Cabellos-García & Enrique Castro-Sánchez & Antonio Martínez-Sabater & Miguel Ángel Díaz-Herrera & Ana Ocaña-Ortiz & Raúl Juárez-Vela & Vicente Gea-Caballero, 2020. "Relationship between Determinants of Health, Equity, and Dimensions of Health Literacy in Patients with Cardiovascular Disease," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(6), pages 1-13, March.
    20. Suwida Rakpaitoon & Sasithorn Thanapop & Chamnong Thanapop, 2022. "Correctional Officers’ Health Literacy and Practices for Pulmonary Tuberculosis Prevention in Prison," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(18), pages 1-11, September.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:8:p:2759-:d:346379. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.