Validation of Food Security Measures for the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey / 대한지역사회영양학회지

ABSTRACT

The objective of this study was to assess the reliability and validity of food security measures, which was developed based on the US household food security survey module (US HFSSM) with content validity in the Korean population. The reliability and validity were assessed by internal consistency, construct validity and criterion-related validity. The study included 446 households. Among those, 46.2% were households with children. The proportion of food insecure households was 33.3%. Among those, 35.4% and 64.6% households were food insecure with hunger and without hunger, respectively. The Cronbach's alpha coefficients were 0.84 and the infit value by the Rasch model analysis ranged from 0.68 to 1.43. The scale item response curves by food insecurity severity explained well the nature and characteristics of food security, indicating the highest proportion of "yes" for the items on diet quality, followed by those with diet quantity. The result of criterion-related validity showed that food insecurity status was significantly related in a dose-response manner with the household income level, food expenditure, subjective health state, subjects' educational level. Household food security status was also related to dietary diversity regarding protein foods, fruits and fruit juice, and milk and dairy product. These findings suggest that the food security instrument is reliable and valid and would be used to assess food security status in the Korean population.