Desarrollo de una escala breve para medir actitudes hacia una alimentación saludable en población escolar preadolescente

Abstract

Unhealthy eating habits are one of the main causes that contribute to non-communicable diseases (NCD). Few instruments are available to evaluate the impact of interventions as well as associated factors. Our aim was to design and evaluate a brief scale to measure attitudes towards healthy eating habits in a school population. A psychometric study was carried out. The sample (non-probability sampling) was composed of 1,238 students from public and semi-private schools in Antofagasta, Chile with ages ranging between 10 and 13, and an average age of 11.98 (SD=1.3). A higher percentage of informants were female (52.9 %, n= 655). Results: Factor analysis showed good indicators of adjustment in the attitude scale for healthy eating. The scale was composed of a global dimension and two specific dimensions, “attitude towards food” and “healthy behavior.” We conclude that the brief survey has adequate values based on the internal structure of the test that confirm its validity.