Construct Validation of Three Nutrition Questions Using Health and Diet Ratings in Older Canadian Males Living in the Community

Publication: Canadian Journal of Dietetic Practice and Research
17 August 2015

Abstract

Brief nutrition screening tools are desired for research and practice. Seniors in the Community: Risk Evaluation for Eating and Nutrition (SCREEN-II, 14 items) and the abbreviated version SCREEN-II-AB (8 items) are valid and reliable nutrition screening tools for older adults. This exploratory study used a retrospective cross-sectional design to determine the construct validity of a subset of 3 items (weight loss, appetite, and swallowing difficulty) currently on the SCREEN-II and SCREEN-II-AB tools. Secondary data on community-dwelling senior males (n = 522, mean ± SD age = 86.7 ± 3.0 years) in the Manitoba Follow-up Study (MFUS) study were available for analysis. Participants completed the mailed MFUS Nutrition Survey that included SCREEN-II items and questions pertaining to self-rated health, diet healthiness, and rating of the importance of nutrition towards successful aging as the constructs for comparison. Self-perceived health status (F = 14.7, P < 0.001), diet healthiness (ρ = 0.17, P = 0.002) and the rating of nutrition's importance to aging (ρ = 0.10, P = 0.03) were correlated with the 3-item score. Inferences were consistent with associations between these construct variables and the full SCREEN-II. Three items from SCREEN-II and SCREEN-II-AB demonstrate initial construct validity with self-perceived health status and diet healthiness ratings by older males; further exploration for criterion and predictive validity in more diverse samples is needed.

Résumé

Des outils rapides d'évaluation nutritionnelle sont souhaitables pour la recherche et la pratique. Les aînés dans la communauté : le Risk Evaluation for Eating and Nutrition [évaluation du risque nutritionnel] (SCREEN-II, 14 questions) et sa version abrégée, le SCREEN-II-AB (8 questions), sont des outils d'évaluation nutritionnelle valides et fiables pour les aînés. Cette étude exploratoire a été conçue sur un modèle transversal rétrospectif afin de déterminer la validité de construit d'un sous-ensemble de 3 questions (perte de poids, appétit et difficulté de déglutition) présentement inclus dans le SCREEN-II et le SCREEN-II-AB. Des données secondaires sur des hommes âgés vivant dans la communauté (n = 522, moyenne d'âge ± S = 86,7 ± 3,0 ans) provenant de la Manitoba Follow-up Study (MFUS) [étude de suivi du Manitoba] étaient disponibles aux fins d'analyse. Les participants ont répondu au sondage sur la nutrition de la MFUS reçu par la poste. Celui-ci incluait les éléments du SCREEN-II de même que des questions sur l'état de santé autoévalué, la qualité nutritionnelle du régime alimentaire et l'évaluation de l'importance de la nutrition pour un vieillissement sain. Ces éléments servaient de construits aux fins de comparaison. L'état de santé autoévalué (F = 14,7, P < 0,001), la qualité nutritionnelle du régime alimentaire (ρ = 0,17, P = 0,002) et l'évaluation de l'importance de la nutrition pour un vieillissement sain (ρ = 0,10, P = 0,03) étaient corrélés au score des 3 questions. Les inférences correspondaient aux associations entre ces variables de construit et le SCREEN-II complet. Trois questions du SCREEN-II et du SCREEN-II-AB démontrent la validité de construit initiale relativement à l'évaluation de l'état de santé et de la qualité nutritionnelle du régime alimentaire par les hommes âgés; une analyse plus approfondie des critères et de la validité prédictive auprès d'échantillons plus diversifiés est nécessaire.

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Information & Authors

Information

Published In

cover image Canadian Journal of Dietetic Practice and Research
Canadian Journal of Dietetic Practice and Research
Volume 76Number 4December 2015
Pages: 194 - 199

History

Version of record online: 17 August 2015

Authors

Affiliations

Usman Akhtar BSc
University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON
Heather H. Keller PhD
Schlegel-UW Research Institute for Aging, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON
Robert B. Tate PhD
Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB
Christina O. Lengyel PhD, RD
Department of Human Nutritional Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB

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