Development and Validation of a New Questionnaire to Measure Knowledge Level of Street Food Hawkers to Support the Single-Use Plastics Reduction Program in Kelantan, Malaysia

Abstract

Food hawkers’ knowledge about single-use plastic food containers must be assessed using a valid and reliable tool to improve assessment and evidence collection credibility and to promote environmental sustainability practice. This study aims to develop and validate a new questionnaire to assess the knowledge level of street food hawkers to support the single-use plastics reduction program. Seven experts were involved in the questionnaire process. In the validation process, a cross-sectional study employed the purposive sampling of 660 night-market street food hawkers in a north-eastern state in Peninsular Malaysia, utilising a Google Forms questionnaire with 22 self-administered items. The Content Validity Index (CVI) and Face Validity index (FVI) were used for the construct analysis. The dichotomous response scale was analysed using a two-parameter logistic model of item response theory (2-PL IRT), while marginal reliability used to determine the internal consistency. The I-CVI were calculated for all items with the value ≥ 0.83, except for nine items with I-CVI < 0.83. I-FVI with values of 0.83 or more were acceptable. The 2-PL IRT analyses indicated good psychometric properties considering the discrimination and difficulty index. The marginal reliability value was 0.77. The newly developed questionnaire is a valid and reliable tool to assess the knowledge level of street-food hawkers to support the single-use plastics reduction program.