Maria Vittoria Conti1, Marco Gnesi2, Rachele De Giuseppe3, Hellas Cena4. 1. Laboratory of Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition, Department of Public Health, Experimental and Forensic Medicine, University of Pavia, via Bassi 21, 27100 Pavia, Italy. Electronic address: mariavittoria.conti01@universitadipavia.it. 2. Section of Biostatistics and Clinical Epidemiology, Department of Public Health, Experimental and Forensic Medicine, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy. 3. Laboratory of Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition, Department of Public Health, Experimental and Forensic Medicine, University of Pavia, via Bassi 21, 27100 Pavia, Italy. 4. Laboratory of Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition, Department of Public Health, Experimental and Forensic Medicine, University of Pavia, via Bassi 21, 27100 Pavia, Italy; Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics Service, Unit of Internal Medicine and Endocrinology, ICS Maugeri IRCCS, Pavia, Italy.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The incidence of malnutrition in developing countries, such as many of those located in Sub-Saharan Africa, is still high, especially in vulnerable categories such as women of childbearing age. Among the several factors influencing dietary intake and eating habits, evidence shows the importance of food knowledge (FK), essential in establishing and maintaining strategies aimed at reducing the burden of disease and promoting wellbeing. The present research was aimed at describing the methodology for designing a questionnaire to investigate Food Knowledge in Tanzania women of childbearing age. METHODS: The Food Knowledge Questionnaire (FKQ) was developed by adapting items from the Ugandan questionnaire to cultural background and food habits of Tanzanian women of childbearing age. A pilot version of the FKQ was tested on a small sample of respondents, 83 women of childbearing age living in the region of Arusha. After describing the sample and the scorings, the pilot version of the questionnaire was analysed through Multiple Correspondence Analysis, aimed at exploring the relationships between items and the properties of the scoring system. RESULTS: The exploratory analyses of the questionnaire allowed to identify those items not related to the others and whose scores were not related to food knowledge, therefore constituting the basis for the questionnaire to be refined and validated. DISCUSSION: The final version of the Tanzanian FKQ "to be validated" ended up consisting of five sections: Section A, about social and economic information (17 questions); Section B, related to health experts advice (5 questions); Section C1 and C2 about food groups (7+7 questions); Section D about diseases and nutrition (6 questions). The questionnaire includes 114 close-ended questions in total. The exploratory analyses performed have led to define the relationships between items and latent constructs, allowing to identify of "correct food knowledge" and "incorrect food knowledge" archetypals.
BACKGROUND: The incidence of malnutrition in developing countries, such as many of those located in Sub-Saharan Africa, is still high, especially in vulnerable categories such as women of childbearing age. Among the several factors influencing dietary intake and eating habits, evidence shows the importance of food knowledge (FK), essential in establishing and maintaining strategies aimed at reducing the burden of disease and promoting wellbeing. The present research was aimed at describing the methodology for designing a questionnaire to investigate Food Knowledge in Tanzania women of childbearing age. METHODS: The Food Knowledge Questionnaire (FKQ) was developed by adapting items from the Ugandan questionnaire to cultural background and food habits of Tanzanian women of childbearing age. A pilot version of the FKQ was tested on a small sample of respondents, 83 women of childbearing age living in the region of Arusha. After describing the sample and the scorings, the pilot version of the questionnaire was analysed through Multiple Correspondence Analysis, aimed at exploring the relationships between items and the properties of the scoring system. RESULTS: The exploratory analyses of the questionnaire allowed to identify those items not related to the others and whose scores were not related to food knowledge, therefore constituting the basis for the questionnaire to be refined and validated. DISCUSSION: The final version of the Tanzanian FKQ "to be validated" ended up consisting of five sections: Section A, about social and economic information (17 questions); Section B, related to health experts advice (5 questions); Section C1 and C2 about food groups (7+7 questions); Section D about diseases and nutrition (6 questions). The questionnaire includes 114 close-ended questions in total. The exploratory analyses performed have led to define the relationships between items and latent constructs, allowing to identify of "correct food knowledge" and "incorrect food knowledge" archetypals.
Authors: Maria Vittoria Conti; Marco Gnesi; Rachele De Giuseppe; Francesca Giampieri; Maria Cristina Monti; Naelijwa Mshanga; Joyce Kinabo; John Msuya; Hellas Cena Journal: Nutrients Date: 2022-02-07 Impact factor: 5.717