Attitudes Towards Food Allergy Scale: Psychometric properties and associations with food allergy quality of life and anxiety
Abstract Background Daily, we tend to evaluate things positively or negatively, according to whether they follow the general information available about them. This attitudinal assessment is represented through evaluative dimensions (e.g., good‐bad) that vary in terms of valence (positive or negative...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2022-10-01
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| Series: | Clinical and Translational Allergy |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/clt2.12205 |
| _version_ | 1811329352782053376 |
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| author | Gabriel Lins de Holanda Coelho Renan Pereira Monteiro Audrey DunnGalvin |
| author_facet | Gabriel Lins de Holanda Coelho Renan Pereira Monteiro Audrey DunnGalvin |
| author_sort | Gabriel Lins de Holanda Coelho |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Daily, we tend to evaluate things positively or negatively, according to whether they follow the general information available about them. This attitudinal assessment is represented through evaluative dimensions (e.g., good‐bad) that vary in terms of valence (positive or negative) and strength (less or more). Despite its importance, there is an urge in food allergy (FA) research to properly assess attitudes based on the underlying mechanisms that define attitudes. Objective The present research aimed to develop the Attitudes Towards Food Allergy scale (ATFAS), the first attitudinal measure of FA. Method: Two studies were performed (n = 1049), using a range of robust statistical analyses (e.g., Item Response Theory, Exploratory Factor Analysis, Confirmatory Factor Analysis). Results Our results provided strong evidence for a unidimensional attitudinal structure, across groups of non‐allergic individuals and food‐allergic, besides recommended reliability levels. All items presented suitable parameters (i.e., discrimination, difficulty, information). Finally, the ATFAS significantly predicted FA quality of life, mediated by FA anxiety. Conclusion We are confident that the ATFAS is a novel and necessary measure, that can help to widen how we view and assess FA. The development of studies that assess attitudes towards FA based on our general information about the disorder would help to deepen our understanding of their links to other health‐related variables and their potential impact on quality of life, reduce FA's stigma, and develop more positive attitudes. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T15:42:26Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-bfd5fb193f924a48baf9e645066ec8ed |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-7022 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T15:42:26Z |
| publishDate | 2022-10-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Clinical and Translational Allergy |
| spelling | doaj.art-bfd5fb193f924a48baf9e645066ec8ed2022-12-22T02:41:07ZengWileyClinical and Translational Allergy2045-70222022-10-011210n/an/a10.1002/clt2.12205Attitudes Towards Food Allergy Scale: Psychometric properties and associations with food allergy quality of life and anxietyGabriel Lins de Holanda Coelho0Renan Pereira Monteiro1Audrey DunnGalvin2Postdoctoral Researcher at University College Cork Cork IrelandFederal University of Paraíba Joao Pessoa BrazilSchool of Applied Psychology University College Cork Cork IrelandAbstract Background Daily, we tend to evaluate things positively or negatively, according to whether they follow the general information available about them. This attitudinal assessment is represented through evaluative dimensions (e.g., good‐bad) that vary in terms of valence (positive or negative) and strength (less or more). Despite its importance, there is an urge in food allergy (FA) research to properly assess attitudes based on the underlying mechanisms that define attitudes. Objective The present research aimed to develop the Attitudes Towards Food Allergy scale (ATFAS), the first attitudinal measure of FA. Method: Two studies were performed (n = 1049), using a range of robust statistical analyses (e.g., Item Response Theory, Exploratory Factor Analysis, Confirmatory Factor Analysis). Results Our results provided strong evidence for a unidimensional attitudinal structure, across groups of non‐allergic individuals and food‐allergic, besides recommended reliability levels. All items presented suitable parameters (i.e., discrimination, difficulty, information). Finally, the ATFAS significantly predicted FA quality of life, mediated by FA anxiety. Conclusion We are confident that the ATFAS is a novel and necessary measure, that can help to widen how we view and assess FA. The development of studies that assess attitudes towards FA based on our general information about the disorder would help to deepen our understanding of their links to other health‐related variables and their potential impact on quality of life, reduce FA's stigma, and develop more positive attitudes.https://doi.org/10.1002/clt2.12205attitudesfood allergymeasure developmentpsychometricsquality of life |
| spellingShingle | Gabriel Lins de Holanda Coelho Renan Pereira Monteiro Audrey DunnGalvin Attitudes Towards Food Allergy Scale: Psychometric properties and associations with food allergy quality of life and anxiety Clinical and Translational Allergy attitudes food allergy measure development psychometrics quality of life |
| title | Attitudes Towards Food Allergy Scale: Psychometric properties and associations with food allergy quality of life and anxiety |
| title_full | Attitudes Towards Food Allergy Scale: Psychometric properties and associations with food allergy quality of life and anxiety |
| title_fullStr | Attitudes Towards Food Allergy Scale: Psychometric properties and associations with food allergy quality of life and anxiety |
| title_full_unstemmed | Attitudes Towards Food Allergy Scale: Psychometric properties and associations with food allergy quality of life and anxiety |
| title_short | Attitudes Towards Food Allergy Scale: Psychometric properties and associations with food allergy quality of life and anxiety |
| title_sort | attitudes towards food allergy scale psychometric properties and associations with food allergy quality of life and anxiety |
| topic | attitudes food allergy measure development psychometrics quality of life |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/clt2.12205 |
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