Assistant Professor University of Manitoba Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Objectives: Preliminary findings from ongoing research investigating the role of traditional foods and activities during pregnancy and for the prevention of gestational diabetes among urban Indigenous women in Manitoba, Canada highlight a lack of culturally appropriate care related to Indigenous traditional foods and practices. This may be due to healthcare professionals' limited confidence on the topic, often linked to insufficient knowledge. The objective of this study was to develop a valid and reliable instrument to assess healthcare professionals' knowledge of Indigenous traditional foods in Canada.
Methods: To develop the questionnaire, a structured nine-step process will be implemented. An advisory board of Indigenous knowledge experts will be convened to provide guidance, ensuring the project aligns with Indigenous community needs. The board will define key aspects and sections of the questionnaire. Based on these definitions, multiple-choice and close-ended questions will be developed. A second expert panel, comprising Indigenous knowledge holders, nutritionists, dietitians, and survey design specialists, will assess content validity by rating each item for relevance on a 4-point Likert scale.
Face validity will be examined using a retrospective think-aloud protocol, where a representative sub-sample of the target audience will verbalize their thought process while completing the questionnaire. Item analyses, including Classical Test Theory and Rasch analysis, will also be conducted. Another sub-sample from the target audience will then participate in re-testing to ensure reliability and validity. Finally, construct validity will be assessed through known-group comparisons to confirm that the questionnaire accurately measures healthcare professionals' knowledge of Indigenous traditional foods.
Results: N/A
Conclusions: Culturally appropriate healthcare for Indigenous patients requires an understanding of their traditional foods. Current practices fail to meet this standard, potentially due to healthcare professionals' knowledge gaps. Developing a valid and reliable assessment tool is a critical step toward identifying and addressing these gaps, ultimately improving the quality of care for Indigenous patients.
