Evidence of Validity and Factorial Invariance of a Diet and Healthy Lifestyle Scale (DEVS) in University Students

Yaquelin E. Calizaya-Milla, Jacksaint Saintila (), Wilter C. Morales-García (), Percy G. Ruiz Mamani and Salomón Huancahuire-Vega
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Yaquelin E. Calizaya-Milla: Grupo de Investigación en Nutrición y Estilo de Vida, Universidad Peruana Unión, Lima 15472, Peru
Jacksaint Saintila: Escuela de Medicina Humana, Universidad Señor de Sipán, Chiclayo 14000, Peru
Wilter C. Morales-García: Unidad de Salud Pública, Escuela de Posgrado, Universidad Peruana Unión, Lima 15472, Peru
Percy G. Ruiz Mamani: Escuela de Enfermería, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Privada San Juan Bautista, Lima 15067, Peru
Salomón Huancahuire-Vega: Escuela de Medicina, Universidad Peruana Unión, Lima 15472, Peru

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 19, 1-12

Abstract: Background: University students continue to face health challenges related to a healthy diet and lifestyle. In this context, the measurement of diet and health status is important for institutions interested in health care and promotion. Objective: The objective of this study was to translate into Spanish, evaluate the internal structure, reliability, and factorial invariance of the Diet and Healthy Lifestyle Scale (DEVS) scale. Methods: The participants were 4482 university students aged 18 to 59 years (Mean [M] = 21.32, Standard deviation [SD] = 2.81). Data analysis included exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), internal consistency, and through multigroup analysis, gender invariance was assessed. Results: The results showed the unidimensionality of the DEVS in Spanish and that it provides good reliability indices: Total sample (Ordinal Alpha [ordinal α] = 0.80, Omega [ω] = 0.83, Coefficient H [H] = 0.84), men (ordinal α = 0.79, ω = 0.83, H = 0.81), women (ordinal α = 0.84, ω = 0.85, H = 0.86). Configurational, scalar, and strict metric invariance was verified, indicating that the construct can be evaluated in both men and women. Conclusion: The DEVS is a valid, reliable, and invariable measure to measure the healthy lifestyle in university students.

Keywords: diet; confirmatory factor analysis; Invariance; reliability; healthy lifestyles; Peru; university students (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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