Adaptation and validation of a questionnaire to measure food habits in higher education

Abstract

Validating data measurement instruments is essential to establish accurate and objective knowledge regarding dietary habits. This article aims to adapt and validate a questionnaire to measure dietary habits originally designed for the primary care setting for use in the context of higher education. Based on a questionnaire validated by Pino, Díaz and López in 2011, the questions were adjusted for a tertiary education context. The instrument was applied to a sample of 405 undergraduate students of a university belonging to the Council of Rectors of Chile (CRUCH) of the Maule region, stratified by college year. Data were analysed using SPSS 20; signed informed consent was obtained. Following the relevant statistical analysis for the validation of an instrument, 10 dimensions with 35 questions were established. Results indicated that the instrument is trustworthy and acceptable (α= 0.815). We conclude that the instrument is a valid adaptation and can be applied to higher education students in order to identify their eating habits.