Development of the Japanese version of the Council on Nutrition Appetite Questionnaire and its simplified versions, and evaluation of their reliability, validity, and reproducibility

• Published in: Journal of epidemiology Vol. 27; no. 11; pp. 524 - 530
• Main Authors: Tokudome, Yuko, Okumura, Keiko, Kumagai, Yoshiko, Hirano, Hirohiko, Kim, Hunkyung, Morishita, Shiho, Watanabe, Yutaka
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Japan Elsevier B.V 01.11.2017; Japan Epidemiological Association; Elsevier
• Subjects: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Appetite; Body mass; Body mass index; Body size; Cognitive ability; Criteria; Criterion-referenced tests; Development of questionnaires; Factor analysis; Factor Analysis, Statistical; Female; Geriatrics; Humans; Impairment; Japan; Japanese elderly; Male; Nutrition; Nutritional Status; Older people; Original; Reliability; Reliability analysis; Reliability aspects; Reproducibility; Reproducibility of Results; Surveys and Questionnaires; Translations; Validity; Appetite; Development of questionnaires; Validity; Reliability; Japanese elderly
• ISSN: 0917-5040; 1349-9092
• DOI: 10.1016/j.je.2016.11.002

Because few Japanese questionnaires assess the elderly's appetite, there is an urgent need to develop an appetite questionnaire with verified reliability, validity, and reproducibility. We translated and back-translated the Council on Nutrition Appetite Questionnaire (CNAQ), which has eight items, into Japanese (CNAQ-J), as well as the Simplified Nutritional Appetite Questionnaire (SNAQ-J), which includes four CNAQ-J-derived items. Using structural equation modeling, we examined the CNAQ-J structure based on data of 649 Japanese elderly people in 2013, including individuals having a certain degree of cognitive impairment, and we developed the SNAQ for the Japanese elderly (SNAQ-JE) according to an exploratory factor analysis. Confirmatory factor analyses on the appetite questionnaires were conducted to probe fitting to the model. We computed Cronbach's α coefficients and criterion-referenced/-related validity figures examining associations of the three appetite battery scores with body mass index (BMI) values and with nutrition-related questionnaire values. Test–retest reproducibility of appetite tools was scrutinized over an approximately 2-week interval. An exploratory factor analysis demonstrated that the CNAQ-J was constructed of one factor (appetite), yielding the SNAQ-JE, which includes four questions derived from the CNAQ-J. The three appetite instruments showed almost equivalent fitting to the model and reproducibility. The CNAQ-J and SNAQ-JE demonstrated satisfactory reliability and significant criterion-referenced/-related validity values, including BMIs, but the SNAQ-J included a low factor-loading item, exhibited less satisfactory reliability and had a non-significant relationship to BMI. The CNAQ-J and SNAQ-JE may be applied to assess the appetite of Japanese elderly, including persons with some cognitive impairment. •We translated the CNAQ and SNAQ into Japanese (CNAQ-J and SNAQ-J).•The CNAQ-J was found to be constructed of one factor (appetite).•We developed the SNAQ-JE according to an exploratory factor analysis.•The CNAQ-J and SNAQ-JE showed acceptable reliability, reproducibility, and validity.•The CNAQ-J and SNAQ-JE may be applied to assess Japanese elderly's appetite.