Abstract:
Background: Hispanic children are disproportionately affected by obesity in the United States. Interventions targeting the home food environment of obese Hispanic children may contribute to reductions in obesity in both the short term and the long term. One component of the home food environment that has not been studied is food preparation equipment present in the homes of obese Hispanic children.
Objectives: To develop and field test an instrument for the collection of data about food preparation equipment present in the homes of obese children of Spanish-speaking Central American immigrants living in the Woodbridge area of Northern Virginia.
Method: A multi-stage process was used to develop and field test the instrument: A literature review was conducted to identify any existing instruments that could be used to collect data on the home food preparation equipment of the target population. Since no appropriate instrument was identified from this review, an instrument in the form of a checklist was developed. Face validity of the checklist was assessed using a review by a native Spanish speaker with experience working with the target population. Content validity of the checklist was assessed through its use in field tests that occurred in the homes of two members of the target population. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected from these reviews and analyzed using descriptive statistics and NVivo software.
Results: Face validity assessment revealed the need to include a photographic image of each item next to it on the checklist. With two limited exceptions, the checklist demonstrated good content validity. Descriptive analysis of the data collected with the checklist showed that the homes of both persons participating in the field testing were adequately stocked with the minimum number of items needed to store and prepare foods for home consumption. Qualitative analysis showed that both of these individuals regularly prepared balanced, healthy meals for their families. Both also showed interest in food and the process of cooking, although convenience was an important consideration. The reliance by one individual on the use of social media to obtain information about food and cooking skills suggests that efforts to promote home cooking as part of a family- and home-based obesity intervention must take these new ways of transmitting information into account. Overall, the checklist achieved the purpose for which it was developed. Field testing also suggested that the checklist was adaptable and could be used other populations of interest with some modification as appropriate to reflect their unique foodways.
