title: Development and validation of green eating behaviors, stage of change, decisional balance, and self-efficacy scales in college students.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To develop and validate an instrument to assess environmentally conscious eating (Green Eating [GE]) behavior (BEH) and GE Transtheoretical Model constructs including Stage of Change (SOC), Decisional Balance (DB), and Self-efficacy (SE).
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional instrument development survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  Convenience sample (n = 954) of 18- to 24-year-old college students from a northeastern university.
  
  
  METHODS
  The sample was randomly split: (N1) and (N2). N1 was used for exploratory factor analyses using principal components analyses; N2 was used for confirmatory analyses (structural modeling) and reliability analyses (coefficient α). The full sample was used for measurement invariance (multi-group confirmatory analyses) and convergent validity (BEH) and known group validation (DB and SE) by SOC using analysis of variance.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Reliable (α > .7), psychometrically sound, and stable measures included 2 correlated 5-item DB subscales (Pros and Cons), 2 correlated SE subscales (school [5 items] and home [3 items]), and a single 6-item BEH scale. Most students (66%) were in Precontemplation and Contemplation SOC. Behavior, DB, and SE scales differed significantly by SOC (P < .001) with moderate to large effect sizes, as predicted by the Transtheoretical Model, which supported the validity of these measures.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Successful development and preliminary validation of this 25-item GE instrument provides a basis for assessment as well as development of tailored interventions for college students.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI.
authors.forename: Kathryn E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Weller
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI. Electronic address: gwg@uri.edu.
authors.forename: Geoffrey W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Greene
authors.affiliation: Cancer Prevention Research Center, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI.
authors.forename: Colleen A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Redding
authors.affiliation: Cancer Prevention Research Center, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI.
authors.forename: Andrea L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Paiva
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI.
authors.forename: Ingrid
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Lofgren
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI.
authors.forename: Jessica T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Nash
authors.affiliation: Cancer Prevention Research Center, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI.
authors.forename: Hisanori
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources / Q000379:methods*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003657:Decision Making; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008960:Models, Psychological; D025341:Principal Component Analysis; D011594:Psychometrics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D020377:Self Efficacy; D013334:Students / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards*; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Green Eating; Stages of Change; Transtheoretical Model