Abstract
Genetically modified foods (GMF) have recently entered the European market. This political decision generated social controversy due to debate over the actual health and environmental risks. Faced with this reality, health professionals, such as physicians and nutritionists, play a key role in decoding this new food technology. A diagnosis of the personal, professional reality and training needs of these specialists regarding GMF is therefore relevant. Objectives:To construct and validate a questionnaire to characterize the knowledge, opinion and training needs of nutritionists and physicians regarding genetically modified foods. Methods:The questionnaire was implemented online in 2016, with 526 respondents. Validation strategies through semantic analysis, internal consistency analysis and exploratory factor analysis were applied. Results: The questionnaire was validated, presenting a reliability based on Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.76. Seventeen factors were extracted, being organized in four themes: opinion, training, knowledge and personal / professional reality. This article highlights the importance of statistical procedures in the validation of questionnaires. Conclusion:The questionnaire could be implemented as a diagnostic tool to ascertain the reality of health professionals (namely physicians and nutritionists, in particular) dealing with challenges of introducing transgenic foods into human food diet.
Translated title of the contribution | Genetically modified foods: construction and validation of a questionnaire to ascertain the knowledge, opinion and training of physicians and nutritionists |
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Original language | Portuguese |
Article number | e42178 |
Number of pages | 15 |
Journal | DEMETRA: Alimentação, Nutrição & Saúde |
Volume | 15 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 31 Jul 2020 |
Keywords
- Questionnaire
- Genetically modified foods
- Physicians
- Nutritionists