P194 Validity and Reliability of Knowledge, Attitude, Perception and Behaviors on Healthy Feeding in School-Age Children in Panama

Abstract

Background Given the growing problem of overweight among school-aged children in Panama, understanding their food related knowledge, attitudes, perceptions and behaviors (KAPB) through valid, reliable and culturally appropriate instruments is critical in addressing in a more comprehensive way the obesity epidemic. Objective To describe the development and validation of an instrument to assess food related KAPB in school children in Panama, which used as a conceptual foundation the recent national Food Based Dietary Guidelines (FBDGs). Study Design, Settings, Participants The instrument development and validation consisted on the following three-stage process: conceptualization and construction of the instrument, primarily based on the Panama FBDGs; expert reviews (n = 6); and phsycometric testing, including internal consistency and confirmatory factor analysis. For the psychometric testing, the sample size included 248 school-age children of 7-13 years old, from five elementary schools in Panama West Province. Measurable Outcome/Analysis A valid, reliable and culturally appropriate instrument to assess healthy eating related KAPB in school-children in Panama. Results The adequacy of the sample was acceptable of 0.8052, determined by The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin index. The CFA yield four factors related to healthy eating habits and lifestyles, with good internal consistency (Cronbach alpha > 0.5). Conclusion This study provides a tested instrument, with acceptable psychometric properties, which can be potentially used to measure healthy eating habits and lifestyles in school-age children in Panama within the context of multi-sectoral childhood obesity prevention programs.