Developing a measure of behavior change in a program to help low-income parents prevent unhealthful weight gain in children.

OBJECTIVE

To develop and test a brief measure of changes in eating, active play, and parenting practices after an intervention to help parents shape children's choices and home environments.

DESIGN

Sequential phases of development and testing: expert panel review, cognitive testing interviews, field testing, test-retest study, and assessment of convergence with detailed previously validated instruments.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP), New York State. Low-income parents of 3- to 11-year-old children; Cooperative Extension nutrition and parenting educators.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Questionnaire reliability, validity, respondent comprehension, and feasibility of use in program contexts.

ANALYSIS

Qualitative analysis of item comprehension. Correlational analysis of test-retest reliability and convergent validity.

RESULTS

A behavior checklist was developed to assess change in parent-reported family eating, physical activity, and parenting practices addressed by an intervention. The checklist was feasible for use in EFNEP and questions were understood as intended. Test-retest reliability was good (r = 0.83) and scores correlated significantly (range, 0.25 to -0.60; P < .05) with detailed measures of dietary habits, parental modeling, physical activity, and home environment.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

Development and testing in a program context produced a tool community nutritionists can use to evaluate educational interventions aimed at helping parents promote healthful eating and activity.