Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Validation of the Malay-Translated Version of the Food Neophobia Scale for Malaysian Young Adults

Abstract

The Food Neophobia Scale (FNS) is a research instrument, originally developed in English, to assess an individual’s level of food neophobia. However, it has not yet been translated and validated for Malaysians. Therefore, we aimed to translate and validate a Malay-translated version of the FNS. Respondents were 200 young adults (mostly females, 73%; and students, 82.0%; M age = 22.3 years, SD = 2.3). We first translated the FNS into Malay using the forward-backward translation method, and a panel of nutrition and dietetics experts then reviewed it for item relevance, clarity, simplicity, and ambiguity. The translated FNS suggested good content validity with an item-level content validity index (I-CVI) > .8, a scale-level content validity index (S-CVI)/average = .8 and a S-CVI/universal agreement = .96. Principal component analysis revealed a two-factor model: (i) willingness and trust; and (ii) rejection and fear. Cronbach’s alpha for the Malay-translated FNS was .808, demonstrating high internal consistency and reliability among young Malaysian adults. Future investigators can now use this Malay-translated FNS instrument to determine levels of food neophobia among Malaysians.