Validation of the General Nutrition Knowledge Questionnaire in an Australian community sample

Aim: To validate the General Nutrition Knowledge Questionnaire developed by Parmenter and Wardle (1999) in an Australian community sample. This questionnaire differs from previous assessments of knowledge because it incorporates a broad range of nutrition concepts, including knowledge of dietary recommendations, healthy food choices, nutrient sources and some diet–disease relationships. Methods: The original questionnaire was developed in the UK, and thus modified to suit the current Dietary Guidelines for Australians and current public health nutrition recommendations. A total of 156 people, of which 116 were community members, completed the questionnaire (113 items). As an indication of concurrent validity, a subsample of nutrition and dietetic students were included (n = 40). As a measure of test–retest reliability, a subsample (n = 57), including students and community members, answered the questionnaire on two occasions, two weeks apart. Results: Both overall internal reliability of the questionnaire items (Cronbach's alpha = 0.92) and test–retest reliability (r = 0.87) were high. The nutrition and dietetic students, hypothesised to have higher knowledge levels, scored consistently higher than the general community sample, indicating good concurrent validity. Conclusion: A test of a modified version of the General Nutrition Knowledge Questionnaire found it to be a valid and reliable measure of nutrition knowledge, appropriate for use in a section of the Australian community. The validated tool may be used in the future for the comprehensive assessment of general nutrition knowledge; however, further testing in differing sections of Australian society may be warranted.