ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: The present study validates a revised scale measuring individuals' level of the 'engagement in dietary behaviour' aspect of 'critical nutrition literacy' and describes how background factors affect this aspect of Norwegian tenth-grade students' nutrition literacy. DESIGN: Data were gathered electronically during a field trial of a standardised sample test in science. Test items and questionnaire constructs were distributed evenly across four electronic field-test booklets. Data management and analysis were performed using the RUMM2030 item analysis package and the IBM SPSS Statistics 20 statistical software package. SETTING: Students responded on computers at school. SUBJECTS: Seven hundred and forty tenth-grade students at twenty-seven randomly sampled public schools were enrolled in the field-test study. The engagement in dietary behaviour scale and the self-efficacy in science scale were distributed to 178 of these students. RESULTS: The dietary behaviour scale and the self-efficacy in science scale came out as valid, reliable and well-targeted instruments usable for the construction of measurements. CONCLUSIONS: Girls and students with high self-efficacy reported higher engagement in dietary behaviour than other students. Socio-economic status and scientific literacy - measured as ability in science by applying an achievement test - did not correlate significantly different from zero with students' engagement in dietary behaviour.
