Measuring the dimensions of eating identity: Internal consistency and test‐retest reliability of a short 12‐item tool

People with healthy eating identities (EI) are more receptive to standard nutrition intervention approaches, but other dimensions of EI may also influence message receptivity. A 12‐item tool was developed to assess affinity with statements for four dimensions of EI; healthy, meat, picky, and emotional eating. The purpose of this study was to assess reliability of this tool. We conducted a telephone survey with 867 adults in an 8‐county area of South Carolina as part of a larger study on perceptions of food environments and dietary behaviors. One‐hundred‐one participants repeated the 12‐item tool approximately 1 week after the initial administration. Internal consistency was assessed using standardized Cronbach alpha's. Consistency varied across healthy (.81), emotional (.78), meat (.53), and picky (.62) EI items. High to moderate levels of correlation between the first and second responses were found for healthy (.78; p<.0001), emotional (.83; p<.0001), meat (.63; p<.0001) and picky eater items (.47; p<.0001). This measure provides a reliable estimate of four dimensions of EI likely associated with dietary behavior. Further testing of this instrument should be conducted to assess construct and predictive validity in diverse populations. Reliable and valid measurement of EI may allow for more meaningful tailoring of nutrition messages and interventions. Funded by NCI R21CA132133‐02S1.