Development and Validation of the Guide for Effective Nutrition Interventions and Education (GENIE): A Tool for Assessing the Quality of Proposed Nutrition Education Programs.
OBJECTIVE
To develop and validate the Guide for Effective Nutrition Interventions and Education (GENIE), a checklist of research-based quality indicators for nutrition education programs.


METHODS
A prospective test of criterion validity and inter-rater reliability of a new tool comparing expert assessments and trained reviewer GENIE scores of the same nutrition education proposals.


METHODS
Ten nutrition education experts; 13 volunteer reviewers.


METHODS
GENIE's face, content, and criterion validity and inter-rater reliability compared using expert assessments and reviewer objective and subjective scores.


METHODS
Reviewer scores compared using Spearman correlation. Inter-rater reliability tested using intra-class correlation (ICC), Cronbach alpha, and ANOVA. Criterion validity tested using independent t test and point bi-serial correlation to compare reviewer with expert scores.


RESULTS
Correlation found between total objective and total subjective scores. Agreement found between reviewers across proposals and categories considering subjective scores (F = 7.21, P < .001; ICC = 0.76 [confidence interval, 0.53-0.92]) and objective scores (F = 7.88, P < .001; ICC = 0.82 [confidence interval, 0.63-0.94]). Relationship was not significant (r = .564, P = .06) between expert and reviewer proposal scoring groups (high, medium, and low).


CONCLUSIONS
Results support the validity and reliability of GENIE as a tool for nutrition education practitioners, researchers, and program funding agencies to accurately assess the quality of a variety of nutrition program plans.
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Chicago, IL. Electronic address: rhand@eatright.org.
Rosa K
RK
Hand
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Chicago, IL.
Jenica K
JK
Abram
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation, Chicago, IL.
Katie
K
Brown
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Chicago, IL.
Paula J
PJ
Ziegler
Department of Interdisciplinary Studies, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ.
J Scott
JS
Parrott
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Chicago, IL.
Alison L
AL
Steiber
D057189:Checklist; D015438:Health Behavior; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D017145:Models, Educational; D009751:Nutritional Requirements; D052756:Nutritional Sciences / Q000193:education*; D015397:Program Evaluation / Q000379:methods*
behavior change; education models; health outcomes; nutrition education; program evaluation