Validation of the Malay version of Food Insecurity Experience Scale (M-FIES) using Rasch analysis
https://doi.org/10.31246/mjn-2022-0031
- Author:
Roselawati Mat Ya
1
;
Noraishah Mohamed Nor
2
;
Nurul Hazirah Jaafar
2
;
Suriati Sidek
3
;
Jamalludin Ab Rahman
1
;
Norhasmah Sulaiman
4
;
Wan Azdie Mohd Abu Bakar
2
Author Information
1. Department of Community Medicine, Kulliyyah of Medicine, International Islamic University Malaysia, Pahang, Malaysia
2. Department of Nutrition Sciences, Kulliyyah of Allied Health Sciences, International Islamic University Malaysia, Pahang, Malaysia
3. Department of Psychology, Kuliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences, International Islamic University Malaysia, Pahang, Malaysia
4. Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
FIES, food insecurity, Rasch measurement, reliability, validity
- From:
Malaysian Journal of Nutrition
2023;29(No.3):529-537
- CountryMalaysia
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
Introduction: Food security can be defined as the availability of and accessibility
to food, acquired in an acceptable means at any given time and place in a way
that could maintain health and wellbeing. One critical dimension of food security
is continued access to adequate food. To measure this dimension, the Food and
Agriculture Organization (FAO) developed the latest measurement tool, namely the
Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES), the first instrument to measure people who
experience food insecurity globally. This study aimed to validate the construct validity
and reliability of the Malay version of FIES (M-FIES) for Malaysians. Methods: This
cross-sectional study was conducted among 145 households in Kuantan, Pahang.
Rasch analysis was used to analyse the construct validity of FIES. Results: FIES
met the Rasch model assumptions with all items having an infit value of between 0.7-
1.3 and an outfit value of <2.0. The item and person reliability were 0.97 and 0.71,
respectively; while the item and person separation were 5.59 and 1.58, respectively.
The FIES item severity indicated that the items “few food”, “healthy”, “skipped”, “ate
less”, and “runout” were disordered. Conclusion: The M-FIES is a valid and reliable
measurement tool for the food insecurity situation among households based on its
construct validity assessed using the Rasch model. Furthermore, the severity of item
in M-FIES was different in terms of order from the original FIES, suggesting that
the same items may be interpreted differently due to cultural or societal differences.
- Full text:4.2023my0635.pdf
