Validity and reliability of the Arabic version of the food choice questionnaire in an adult university population: A cross-sectional validation study

Objectives The Food Choice Questionnaire (FCQ) has been used in several countries, but has not yet been adapted and validated in any Arabic-speaking country. This study tests the validity and reliability of the Arabic version of the FCQ among adults in an academic setting. Methods The English FCQ was first adapted to the local context and culture. The resulting questionnaire was translated into Arabic by two Arabic professionals. Then, two bilingual experts translated the Arabic questionnaire back into English. The Arabic FCQ's comprehension and acceptability were tested ( n = 33). Afterwards, it was administered in a larger population ( n = 388). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to evaluate the validity of the factor structure of the Arabic questionnaire. The average variance extracted (AVE) and composite reliability (CR) were calculated to assess convergent validity. Internal consistency was checked using Cronbach's α and McDonald's omega (Ω) coefficients. Reproducibility was confirmed using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Results Confirmatory factor analysis revealed that the model with ten domains was marginally acceptable, but an alternative model with nine domains was more acceptable (Chi-square = 1293.09, df = 584, p < 0.05, X 2 /df = 2.21, GFI = 0.79, RMSEA = 0.06, CFI = 0.86, NNFI = 0.84). The latter model included 37 items loading onto one of the nine domains. The AVE values were greater than 0.50, and the CR values were greater than 0.7. The Cronbach's α values ranged from 0.572 to 0.865. McDonald's omega (Ω) for the overall questionnaire exceeded 0.7. The ICC values from 0.868 to 0.955. Conclusions Our results indicate that the final Arabic FCQ model is a valid and reliable tool for exploring food choice motives among Arabic-speaking adults in an academic setting.