Testing the barriers to healthy eating scale.

Clarifying barriers to dietary intake may identify factors that place pregnant women at risk for complications. This methodological study assessed the psychometric properties of the Barriers to Healthy Eating Scale. Item generation was based on constructs in Pender's health promotion model. The instrument was tested in two separate samples of pregnant women. Content validity was assessed, and construct validity testing resulted in an expected negative relationship between scores on the Barriers to Healthy Eating Scale and the Nutrition subscale of the Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile-II. Factor analysis resulted in a 5-factor scale that explained 73% of the variance. Alpha coefficients for the total scale ranged from.73 to.77, and subscales ranged from.48 to.99. Test-retest reliability for the total scale was.79. The Barriers to Healthy Eating Scale appears to be a reliable and valid instrument to assess barriers that may impede healthy eating in pregnant women.