Development and initial validation of the Campus Food Aid Self-Assessment Tool

Objective: To develop and evaluate a survey instrument assessing campus responses to college student food insecurity. Participants: Experts in college student food insecurity and/or survey development participated in expert panel review. College representatives participated in cognitive interviewing and the pilot study. Methods: Expert panel review, cognitive interviewing, and exploratory factor analysis determined instrument face and content validity. Internal consistency tests assessed reliability. Results: Expert panelists (n = 7) and cognitive interviewing participants (n = 8) confirmed face and content validity. Sampling was not adequate to support factor analysis (KMO < 0.7). Internal consistency tests confirmed instrument reliability (Cronbach’s α ≥ 0.60). In the pilot study, campuses had the highest average scores for campus advocacy (M = 2.79, SD = 0.67). No schools reported the ability to meet all nutritional needs of food insecure students. Conclusions: This study establishes preliminary validation for an instrument for assessment of campus food insecurity response.