A questionnaire to measure direct support professionals’ attitude towards healthy nutrition of people with intellectual disabilities

Figures & data

Table 1. Characteristics of DSPs (n = 31).

Age in years, mean (SD)	34 (11)
Gender female, n	25
Education, n
Senior secondary vocational education: Educational theory	11
Senior secondary vocational education: Nursing	2
University of applied sciences: Educational theory	11
University	1
Other:	6
Supplemental lifestyle training, Yes	7
Work setting, n
Residential facility	11
Day activity centre	5
Combination group	15
Years of experience with people with intellectual disabilities, mean (SD)	11 (10)

Table 2. Attitude questionnaire for DSPs for health enhancing physical activity and nutrition.

Question number and topic	Item (statement about attitude)
ADSP-HEPA
1 – Knowledge	I think I am well aware of the exercise and physical activity recommendations for persons with intellectual disabilities.
2 – Skills/Self-efficacy/Beliefs about capabilities	I think I have enough practical knowledge and skills to set up and carry out physical/moving activities.
3 – Environmental Context and Resources	I think I have enough (game) materials to carry out physical activities.
4 – Social Influences	I feel supported by my superiors/managers when encouraging persons with intellectual disabilities to be enough physically active.
5 – Social/Prof Role and Identity	I believe that being physically active is so important that I will do anything to plan it in the daycare program of persons with intellectual disabilities.
6 – Outcome expectancy/Beliefs about consequences	I think supporting physical activity is a fun part of my work.
ADSP-HENU
1 – Knowledge	I think I am well aware of the nutrition recommendations for persons with intellectual disabilities.
2 – Skills/Self-efficacy/Beliefs about capabilities	I think I have enough practical knowledge and skills to set up and carry out healthy nutrition activities.
3 – Environmental Context and Resources	I think I have enough (kitchen) materials and healthy products to support healthy nutrition for people with intellectual disabilities.
4 – Social Influences	I feel supported by my superiors/managers when encouraging persons with intellectual disabilities to eat and drink healthily.
5 – Social/Prof Role and Identity	I believe that healthy nutrition is so important that I will do anything to make time for healthy nutrition of persons with intellectual disabilities.
6 – Outcome expectancy/Beliefs about consequences	I think supporting healthy nutrition is a fun part of my work.

Note: ADSP-HEPA: Attitude of DSPs for Health Enhancing Physical Activity; ADSP-HENU: Attitude of DSPs for Health Enhancing Nutrition.

Table 3. Cronbach’s Alpha if item deleted and point polyserial correlations for ADSP-HENU.

	Cronbach’s Alpha if item deleted	Point polyserial correlation
1 – Knowledge	0.86	0.78
2 – Skills/Self-efficacy/Beliefs about capabilities	0.83	0.89
3 – Environmental Context and Resources	0.87	0.67
4 – Social Influences	0.85	0.81
5 – Social/Professional Role and Identity	0.85	0.79
6 – Outcome expectancy/Beliefs about consequences	0.86	0.77

Table

Aim: This six-item questionnaire measures how Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) think about stimulating and motivating of healthiness of nutrition of the persons with intellectual disabilities they support. Target group: DSPs of people with intellectual disabilities in daily care. Instructions for participant: This questionnaire consists of statements about how you think and feel about stimulating healthy nutrition of people with intellectual disabilities. The items are about your own feeling or opinion, so your answers are not right or wrong. Completing the questionnaire takes about 2 min. Scoring: You can score on the following 6 items/statements with: “totally disagree”, “partially disagree”, “neutral”, “partially agree”, and “totally agree”
Items (statements about attitude)
	1 Totally disagree	2 Partially disagree	3 Neutral	4 Partially agree	5 Totally agree
I think I am well aware of the nutrition recommendations for persons with intellectual disabilities.
I think I have enough practical knowledge and skills to set up and carry out healthy nutrition activities.
I think I have enough (kitchen) materials and healthy products to support healthy nutrition for people with intellectual disabilities.
I feel supported by my superiors/managers when encouraging persons with intellectual disabilities to eat and drink healthily.
I believe that healthy nutrition is so important that I will do anything to make time for healthy nutrition of persons with intellectual disabilities.
I think supporting healthy nutrition is a fun part of my work.
Instructions for the researcher: After completing the questionnaire by a DSP, the sum score can be calculated by adding all six scores. Attitude sum score:* *The minimum possible attitude sum score is 6, the maximum score is 30. The higher the attitude sum score, the more positive DSPs think about stimulating and motivating of healthy nutrition for people with intellectual disabilities they support.