Development and validation of a novel short-form nutrition literacy measurement tool for Chinese college students

Abstract

Objectives: To develop and validate a short-form nutrition literacy (NL) assessment tool for Chinese college students based on a 43-item NL measurement scale. Methods: To develop and validate short-form NL scale, 1359 college students were surveyed, the data were analyzed using exploratory factor analysis, linear regression analysis, Item analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and Pearson correlation. Results: The 12-item short-form NL scale (NL-SF12) was developed using factor analysis and regression analysis, which accounted for 96.4% of the variance. The correlation coefficient between the NL-SF12 and NL-43 was 0.969, indicating satisfactory criterion-related validity. The NL-SF12 had a Cronbach's α of 0.890, suggesting strong internal consistency reliability, and content validity index was greater than 0.9, indicating that each domain accurately reflects the connotation of nutrition literacy. The model–data fit and convergent validity of the confirmatory factor analysis results were both good. Conclusion: The NL-SF12 is an effective measurement tool with a good reliability and acceptable validity to assess comprehensively NL for college students, and is applicable to quick, widespread use in population study and practice with low respondent burden.