Use of an Observational Comparative Strategy Demonstrated Construct Validity of a Measure to Assess Adherence to the Satter Division of Responsibility in Feeding

Abstract

Background: Currently developed parent feeding measures do not exclusively measure behaviors compatible with theoretical underpinnings of the Satter Division of Responsibility in Feeding for Children Aged 2 to 6 Years (sDOR.2-6y). A measure of adherence to sDOR.2-6y has been constructed and shown to have translational validity.

Objective: To examine the construct validity of the 15 sDOR.2-6y items.

Design: Observations from in-home mealtime video-capture in a household with a child aged 2 to 6 years were compared with parent sDOR.2-6y responses. One sDOR.2-6y item about mealtime regularity was compared with mealtime data provided in the Automated Self-Administered 24-Hour Dietary Assessment Tool that had been completed by a larger sample of parents that included the smaller sample of video-capture participants.

Participants/setting: Parents of preschool children aged 2 to 6 years in central Pennsylvania participated in Automated Self-Administered 24-Hour Dietary Assessment Tool online dietary assessment (n = 61) from May to November 2013 or in-home mealtime video-capture (n = 20) during October 2013 or both (n = 16).

Main outcome measures: Consensus of three trained sDOR coders of plausible parent sDOR.2-6y item responses after video viewing, parent responses to sDOR.2-6y items, and mealtime regularity from three Automated Self-Administered 24-Hour Dietary Assessment Tool recalls.

Statistical analysis: Data analysis included identification of codeable 5-minute segments, coding by three sDOR experts, intraclass correlation coefficient, and determination of coder congruence to establish plausible sDOR.2-6y responses and comparison between coder-observed and parent sDOR.2-6y responses.

Results: Video-capture participants were mostly women, White, and overweight with a mean ± standard deviation age of 35.3 ± 6.4 years. Postvideo debriefing supported the observed meal as typical in location, timing, and composition. Of 273 coding decisions, coder congruence was inadequate or dissonant for 3.7% and intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.81 (0.77 to 0.84; P < 0.001). Parent and congruent coder responses were in agreement for nearly 70% of the possible comparisons. Of the original 15 items, three were deemed not valid, nine of the remaining 12 were considered valid, and three could not be invalidated.

Conclusions: Congruence between observed and self-reported behaviors supported additional validation and scoring studies with the 12-item sDOR.2-6y to assess adherence of parents to sDOR.

Keywords: Child feeding; Child obesity; Mealtime; Observational research; Preschool nutrition.