Obesity perception survey among youth in Turkey: instrument development and test-retest reliability

Abstract

Background/aim: We aimed to develop an instrument that can assess young people?s perceptions and opinions regarding causes and consequences of obesity and the role of individuals, families, communities, and government in addressing obesity. Materials/methods: A 36-question (101-item) survey was developed by adopting, translating, and revising multiple-choice or Likert-scale questions from existing surveys to assure construct cross-cultural validity. A two-factor mixed effects model estimated intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) to measure test-retest reliability of questions administered (two weeks apart) to a convenient sample of Istanbul high-school and university students, ages 15-25 (N=122). Results: ICC mean for university and high-school was 0.70 and 0.63, respectively. University students were more consistent in relating the problem to society and public policy preferences. High-school students were more consistent in relating the problem and solution to themselves and their immediate environments. Using 0.5 cutoff for ICC?s lower 95% confidence limit, followed by re-evaluation of question-flow, a 19-question (36-item) survey was retained for adolescents; 26-question (52-item) survey for young adults. Conclusion: While survey items have moderate-to-excellent reliability for high-school and university students, it can be administered longitudinally for suggesting changes to policies and interventions, and after cross-cultural validation, can be utilized for comparing obesity perceptions across different populations.