Construction and validation of an instrument to evaluate knowledge on healthy eating in schoolchildren

Abstract

Objective: to validate the content and appearance of an instrument to evaluate knowledge on healthy feeding. Materials and Methods: methodological study of validation of content and appearance with 22 judges, and semantic validation with 12 schoolchildren from 4th and 5th grades in primary school education, ranging in age between nine and ten years. The Scale-Level Content Validity Index (S-CVI) ≥ 0.90 and the Item-Level Content Validity Index (I-CVI) ≥ 0.80 were considered approved in the validation. The Binomial test was used through the p value of the proportion (rejecting the H0 if p ≤ 0.80) to select items that should be revised or modified (items validated at significance level ≤ 0.05). Results: the instrument was validated with S-CVI = 0.93 and I-CVI ≥ 0.80 in the 12 items evaluated, with the mean proportion of “non-discordance” among judges = 0.93. The instrument with the suggested modifications was submitted to the target audience and completely approved by all the participating students. Conclusion: this instrument can be used during the health education activities of the School Health Program and the Family Health Program to promote healthy feeding with children between nine and ten years of age.