Psychometric testing of the teacher food and nutrition-related health and wellbeing questionnaire

Background
Current evaluation of teacher wellbeing rarely includes assessment of diet quality or influential food and nutrition (FN) constructs. Diet quality, and FN constructs such as food skills, are increasingly recognised across health research for their associations with mental health, stress regulation, and overall wellbeing, making their inclusion essential in future iterations of teacher wellbeing assessment.
Method
This study evaluates the reliability and construct validity of the teacher food and nutrition-related health wellbeing questionnaire (TFNQ) created using the online survey platform QuestionPro to measure FN constructs alongside teacher wellbeing outcomes. An intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) ≥ 0.50 was used to establish test-retest reliability, using matched sample data with ≤ 17 days between responses, from both timepoints (dataset one and two, n = 99). Construct validity was assessed with data set one (timepoint 1, n = 438) using confirmatory factor analysis with global fit criteria (root mean square error of approximation ≤ 0.08, comparative fit index ≥ 0.90 and standardised root mean residual ≤ 0.05).
Results
Five hundred and twenty-two primary and secondary schoolteachers from across Australia completed the TFNQ at two timepoints. Six of the seven TFNQ sub-scales achieved an ICC ≥ 0.70; the remaining sub-scale, eating social norms at school achieved an ICC of 0.46. All sub-scales except social support, met at least two of the three global fit criteria for construct validity.
Conclusions
The TFNQ is the first purpose-built evaluation tool to incorporate a set of valid and reliable sub-scales and single-item measures. The TFNQ will facilitate research that aims to explore the contribution of teacher FN practices with teacher health and wellbeing and inform the development of practical lifestyle focused solutions.