Abstract
Content validation provides evidence that diagnoses and their clinical components occur together. A descriptive study was designed to determine the content validity of the definition, etiologies, and signs/symptoms of the American Dietetic Association's nutrition diagnoses. A questionnaire with 62 diagnoses was mailed to a convenience sample of 193 registered dietitians. Each diagnosis had a nutrition diagnosis validation instrument that listed the diagnostic label and its components (definition, etiologies, and signs/symptoms). Participants rated the components on a 5-point Likert-type scale to indicate how each definition, etiology, and sign/symptom was characteristic of the diagnostic label. A diagnostic content validity (DCV) score and a total DCV score were calculated. A DCV score greater than or equal to 0.80 was considered major, less than 0.80 and greater than 0.50 minor, and less than or equal to 0.50 was unrepresentative of the diagnosis. All definitions had a DCV score greater than or equal to 0.80. Fourteen percent of the 327 etiologies and 9% of the 796 signs/symptoms were categorized as minor. All diagnoses had a total DCV score greater than 0.80, except inadequate and excessive bioactive substance intakes. Registered dietitians understood the terminology and validated the components. By establishing the diagnoses that exist in practice, dietitians will be able to articulate clearly which specific nutrition problem is present.