Development of an instrument for measuring food insecurity in young ¨caraqueños¨

Abstract

The objective of scientific research is build and obtains evidence of both validity and reliability for a scale capable of measuring food insecurity at home in contexts of Caracas. The items were elaborate from the review of the literature and the collaboration of expert judges in the area. The sample consisted of 1194 subjects who were divided into two groups (university and secondary students), the subjects between both samples were age between 15 and 32 years old. An internal consistency reliability analysis, analysis of the factorial structure of the test was proposed, and evidence of convergent and discriminant validity was also evaluated. Obtaining high values of reliability in both samples (α = 0.91), a bifactorial structure in the pattern of evidence and evidence of convergent validity (r = 0.77-r = 0.78) and discriminant (r = -0.28- r = -0.35). Recommendations for the applications of the test probes performed.