Development and validation of a screening instrument to assess the types and quality of foods served at home meals

Primary food preparing adults (n = 51) participated in a validation study in their own homes. Staff and participants independently completed a screener as participants cooked dinner. The screener assessed the types of foods offered, method(s) of preparation, and use of added fats. Two scale scores were created: 1) to assess offerings of foods in five food groups (meat and other protein, milk, vegetables, fruit, grains), 2) to assess the relative healthfulness of foods based on types offered, preparation method, and added fats. Criterion validity was assessed comparing staff and participant reports of individual foods (kappa (k)) and scale scores (Spearman correlations).Criterion validity was high between participants' and staffs' record of whether major food categories (meat and other protein, bread and cereal, salad, vegetables, fruits, dessert) were served (k = 0.79-1.0), moderate for reports of other starches (e.g., rice) being served (k = 0.52), and high for the Five Food Group and Healthfulness scale scores (r = 0.75-0.85, p < .001).This new meal screening tool has high validity and can be used to assess the types of foods served at home meals allowing a more comprehensive assessment of the home food environment.Studies have shown that compared to foods consumed at home, away-from-home foods are higher in fat and calories [1] and contribute to poorer dietary quality and overweight status [2-6]. Thus, health and nutrition experts recommend limiting eating out and encourage more frequent home meal preparation [7]. The importance of the home environment in influencing food intake and weight status has prompted the development of new valid instruments to assess food availability within the home food environment [8,9]. Although these instruments assess foods available in the home, no validated instruments exist to assess what types of foods are served specifically at meals within the home. Foods served at meals may include a subset of those available within the home