Methodology for Developing a New EFNEP Food and Physical Activity Behaviors Questionnaire

Objective Research methods are described for developing a food and physical activity behaviors questionnaire for the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP), a US Department of Agriculture nutrition education program serving low-income families. Design Mixed-methods observational study. The questionnaire will include 5 domains: (1) diet quality, (2) physical activity, (3) food safety, (4) food security, and (5) food resource management. A 5-stage process will be used to assess the questionnaire's test-retest reliability and content, face, and construct validity. Setting Research teams across the US will coordinate questionnaire development and testing nationally. Participants Convenience samples of low-income EFNEP, or EFNEP-eligible, adult participants across the US. Interventions A 5-stage process: (1) prioritize domain concepts to evaluate (2) question generation and content analysis panel, (3) question pretesting using cognitive interviews, (4) test-retest reliability assessment, and (5) construct validity testing. Main Outcome Measure A nationally tested valid and reliable food and physical activity behaviors questionnaire for low-income adults to evaluate EFNEP's effectiveness. Analysis Cognitive interviews will be summarized to identify themes and dominant trends. Paired t tests (P ?.05) and Spearman and intra-class correlation coefficients (r >.5) will be conducted to assess reliability. Construct validity will be assessed using Wilcoxon t test (P ?.05), Spearman correlations, and Bland-Altman plots. © 2017 Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior