Abstract
Objectives
To assess the 1) acceptability and feasibility of online and paper versions of the Mediterranean Eating Patterns of Americans (MEPA) III screener, and 2) test-retest reliability of the 21-item MEPA III screener amongst adults with Parkinson's disease (PD).
Methods
PD participants completed online and paper versions of the MEPA III screener in random order three to seven days apart followed by an exit questionnaire. The latter was based on a 65-point system usability scoring (SUS) method [Brooke (1996)], where higher values reflect greater acceptability. Feasibility was defined by the time needed to complete the tool. For assessment of test-retest reliability (stability), health professionals and PD patients completed the online version of MEPA III twice (three to seven days apart). Descriptive statistics were performed using SPSS, version 23. Differences in MEPA III scores, SUS values, and completion times between the different administration modes and repeated administrations were assessed with Wilcoxon signed rank tests.
Results
Ten PD participants (5 men: 5 women, median age, 66 years) completed both online and paper MEPA III screeners. Median (IQR) scores for paper MEPA III were 11.0 (8.7, 13.5) and online, 10.5 (9.0, 13.2). In terms of acceptability, median paper SUS were 54 (49, 56) and online, 50 (46, 53). There were no significant differences in overall MEPA III scores (P = 0.76) or SUS for the MEPA III (P = 0.26). Shorter completion times were reported for the paper version when compared to online administration (P = 0.03). In terms of stability, no differences in MEPA III scores were observed between the first administration 11.5 (10.0, 14.2) and those for the second, 13.0 (11.5, 14.0), P = 0.48.
Conclusions
Preliminary testing reveals similar acceptability of the online and paper MEPA III screeners. The paper version may be more feasible particularly when time is limited. This screener exhibits reasonable stability, but further evaluation is needed.
Funding Sources
Department of Clinical Nutrition within the College of Health Sciences at Rush University.