Validity and Reliability of the Healthy Families Survey: A Key Component of the Maryland Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education (SNAP-Ed) Evaluation.

OBJECTIVE: This study established the validity and reliability of the Healthy Families Survey, a 45-item survey measuring nutrition and physical activity behaviors among children and parents enrolled in the Maryland Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education.

METHODS: Analysis included 1,376 pretest surveys. A factor analysis was conducted to establish construct validity, item analyses were conducted to determine item relevance for the target population, and Cronbach α was established to assess internal reliability.

RESULTS: The factor analysis extracted 9 factors, with 91% of variables loading appropriately (>+0.30 loading) onto factors. Item analyses identified 6 variables with low (<0.20) or high (>0.80) mean values at baseline. Seven of the 9 subscales had Cronbach α ≥ .60.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: The Healthy Families Survey demonstrated both strong construct validity and internal reliability and can be used by Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education agencies to assess child and parent nutrition and physical activity behaviors.