IJE Advance Access originally published online on May 22, 2008
International Journal of Epidemiology 2008 37(4):766-774; doi:10.1093/ije/dyn084
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Gender of respondent does not affect the psychometric properties of the Brazilian Household Food Security Scale
1 Department of Human Nutrition, The Ohio State University, 325 Campbell Hall, 1787 Neil Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
2 Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Connecticut, 3624 Horsebarn Hill Rd., Storrs CT 06269.
3 Departamento de Medicina Preventiva e Social, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas – UNICAMP, Rua Tessália Vieira de Camargo – 126, Cidade Universitária ‘Zeferino Vaz’, Campinas – SP–Brasil.
* Corresponding author. Department of Human Nutrition, The Ohio State University, 325 Campbell Hall, 1787 Neil Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210, USA. E-mail: hmelgar-quinonez{at}ehe.osu.edu
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Abstract |
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Background Food insecurity is a major public concern that occurs when nutritional needs are not met, incorporates psychological and physiological coping mechanisms, and can range from basic concern over obtaining food to severe malnutrition. This study was performed to explore differences in female and male respondent psychometric characteristics of a locally adapted Brazilian Household Food Security Scale (Escala Brasileira de Medida da Insegurança Alimentar—EBIA).
Methods The 16-item EBIA was incorporated into the 2004 Brazilian National Household Sample Survey 2004 (Pesquisa Nacional por Amostra de Domicílios—PNAD; n = 108 606). Rasch Modelling was used to evaluate survey one-dimensionality, construct and independence through analysis of infit and relative item severities of adult and children items by gender. Differences in estimated item severities between male and female respondents were assessed using Differential Item Functioning (DIF) models.
Results The scale presented good fitness and most item infit values were within adequate range (0.8–1.2), being practically identical when comparing female and male responses. Both female and male respondents presented similar relative item severities for adult and children items and followed the same pattern of increasing relative item severities with each item in the questionnaire. None of the items presented substantial DIF.
Conclusions This research demonstrates that the psychometric properties of the EBIA are not affected by respondent gender in Brazil. The results of this study support the validity of the proposed scale, suggesting that the scale will provide accurate information regardless of respondent gender for governments, researchers and agencies concerned with reducing epidemic levels of food insecurity and the resulting health disparities.
Keywords Food security, gender, Brazil, Rasch model, US Household Food Security Module
Accepted 9 April 2008
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