Test-retest reliability and construct validity of the ENERGY-parent questionnaire on parenting practices, energy balance-related behaviours and their potential behavioural determinants: the ENERGY-project.
BACKGROUND
Insight in parental energy balance-related behaviours, their determinants and parenting practices are important to inform childhood obesity prevention. Therefore, reliable and valid tools to measure these variables in large-scale population research are needed. The objective of the current study was to examine the test-retest reliability and construct validity of the parent questionnaire used in the ENERGY-project, assessing parental energy balance-related behaviours, their determinants, and parenting practices among parents of 10-12 year old children.


RESULTS
We collected data among parents (n = 316 in the test-retest reliability study; n = 109 in the construct validity study) of 10-12 year-old children in six European countries, i.e. Belgium, Greece, Hungary, the Netherlands, Norway, and Spain. Test-retest reliability was assessed using the intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) and percentage agreement comparing scores from two measurements, administered one week apart. To assess construct validity, the agreement between questionnaire responses and a subsequent interview was assessed using ICC and percentage agreement.All but one item showed good to excellent test-retest reliability as indicated by ICCs > .60 or percentage agreement ≥ 75%. Construct validity appeared to be good to excellent for 92 out of 121 items, as indicated by ICCs > .60 or percentage agreement ≥ 75%. From the other 29 items, construct validity was moderate for 24 and poor for 5 items.


CONCLUSIONS
The reliability and construct validity of the items of the ENERGY-parent questionnaire on multiple energy balance-related behaviours, their potential determinants, and parenting practices appears to be good. Based on the results of the validity study, we strongly recommend adapting parts of the ENERGY-parent questionnaire if used in future research.
EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, Department of Public and Occupational Health, VU University medical center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands. a.singh@vumc.nl
Amika S
AS
Singh
Mai J M
MJ
Chinapaw
Léonie
L
Uijtdewilligen
Froydis N
FN
Vik
Wendy
W
van Lippevelde
Juan M
JM
Fernández-Alvira
Sarolta
S
Stomfai
Yannis
Y
Manios
Maria
M
van der Sluijs
Caroline
C
Terwee
Johannes
J
Brug
D000328:Adult; D001530:Belgium; D002648:Child; D004032:Diet; D004734:Energy Metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006115:Greece; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D006814:Hungary; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity; D009426:Netherlands; D009664:Norway; D009765:Obesity / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016487:Parenting / Q000523:psychology*; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013030:Spain; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires