Development and Psychometric Assessment of a Maternal Nutrition Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices Questionnaire
Sneha Srivastava, Ritu K. SurekaAbstract
Background:
Maternal nutrition is a critical determinant of health outcomes for both mothers and their infants. As frontline providers within the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) framework, Anganwadi Workers (AWWs) play a pivotal role in disseminating nutrition-related information, counselling expectant mothers, and facilitating the implementation of maternal health interventions. Therefore, the availability of a psychometrically sound instrument to assess their Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices (KAP) is essential.
Objective:
The present study sought to develop, validate, and determine the reliability of a structured Maternal Nutrition KAP Questionnaire tailored for AWWs.
Methodology:
A cross-sectional study was conducted among 30 purposively selected AWWs representing both urban and rural areas. The questionnaire comprised 72 items, including 38 knowledge items, 20 attitude items, and 14 practice items. Face and content validity were established through expert evaluation, whereas construct validity was assessed using inter-item correlation analysis.
Results:
Reliability testing demonstrated strong internal consistency, with Cronbach’s alpha values of 0.810 (95% CI: 0.72–0.89) for the knowledge domain, 0.849 (95% CI: 0.78–0.91) for the attitude domain, and 0.967 (95% CI: 0.94–0.98) for the practices domain. The validated tool exhibits high reliability and is suitable for large-scale assessments aimed at strengthening maternal nutrition strategies delivered through AWWs.