Translation and content validation of the bahasa melayu version of the child food insecurity experience scale (CFIES)

Introduction/Background: Current food insecurity surveys may not accurately capture the experiences and challenges faced by children. The Child Food Insecurity Experience Scale (CFIES) is a cross-contextually validated and reliable tool for assessing children’s own experiences with food insecurity. The lack of a validated Bahasa Melayu version of CFIES will limit the application for Malaysian children. The purpose of this study was to translate the CFIES into Bahasa Melayu and conduct validation tests for its content as a tool to assess children's experiences in Malaysia. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the reliability and validity of the Bahasa Melayu version of the CFIES. Forward and backward translation were performed, followed by content validation conducted by 8 experts who assessed the representativeness and clarity using a content validity index (CVI). Face validation for understandability and clarity, using the face validity index (FVI), was conducted with the participation of 10 children aged 9-12 years. 130 students between the ages of 9-12 years old, from three private primary schools in Puncak Alam, Selangor (n=130), participated in the reliability test. Results: Content validation had strong validity with (S-CVI = 0.95) and acceptable in face validation (S-FVI clarity = 0.83, understandability = 0.79). Cronbach’s alpha coefficient for the Malay version of CFIES shows acceptable reliability (0.787). Conclusion: The Bahasa Melayu translation of CFIES is valid and reliable for evaluating food insecurity among children in Malaysia. It may provide a foundation for future studies on children’s food insecurity in Malaysia.