Genetically modified foods: construction and validation of a questionnaire to ascertain the knowledge, opinion and training of physicians and nutritionists

Authors

  • Isabella Ribeiro de Figueiredo Vieira Universidade Católica Portuguesa, CBQF - Centro de Biotecnologia e Química Fina – Laboratório Associado, Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Rua Arquiteto Lobão Vital, 172, 4200-374 Porto, Portugal. Telefone : +351 22 5580001. Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia de Mato Grosso - Campus São Vicente, Rodovia BR-364, Km 329, s/n, 78106-970 Cuiabá/MT. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0291-766X
  • Teresa Brandão Universidade Católica Portuguesa, CBQF - Centro de Biotecnologia e Química Fina – Laboratório Associado, Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Rua Arquiteto Lobão Vital, 172, 4200-374 Porto, Portugal. Telefone : +351 22 5580001.
  • Elisabete Pinto Universidade Católica Portuguesa, CBQF - Centro de Biotecnologia e Química Fina – Laboratório Associado, Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Rua Arquiteto Lobão Vital, 172, 4200-374 Porto, Portugal. Telefone : +351 22 5580001. EPIUnit – Instituto de Saúde Pública da Universidade do Porto, Rua das Taipas, 135, 4050-091 Porto.
  • Margarida Silva Universidade Católica Portuguesa, CBQF - Centro de Biotecnologia e Química Fina – Laboratório Associado, Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Rua Arquiteto Lobão Vital, 172, 4200-374 Porto, Portugal. Telefone : +351 22 5580001.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.12957/demetra.2020.42178

Keywords:

Questionnaire. Genetically Modified Foods. Physicians. Nutritionists.

Abstract

Introduction: Genetically modified foods (GMF) have recently entered the European market. This political decision generated social controversy due to debate over the actual health and environmental risks. Faced with this reality, health professionals, such as physicians and nutritionists, play a key role in decoding this new food technology. A diagnosis of the personal, professional reality and training needs of these specialists regarding GMF is therefore relevant. Objectives: To construct and validate a questionnaire to characterize the knowledge, opinion and training needs of nutritionists and physicians regarding genetically modified foods. Methods: The questionnaire was implemented online in 2016, with 526 respondents. Validation strategies through semantic analysis, internal consistency analysis and exploratory factor analysis were applied. Results and Discussion: The questionnaire was validated, presenting a reliability based on Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.76. Seventeen factors were extracted, being organized in four themes: opinion, training, knowledge and personal / professional reality. This article highlights the importance of statistical procedures in the validation of questionnaires. Conclusion: The questionnaire could be implemented as a diagnostic tool to ascertain the reality of health professionals (namely physicians and nutritionists, in particular) dealing with challenges of introducing transgenic foods into human food diet.

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Author Biography

Isabella Ribeiro de Figueiredo Vieira, Universidade Católica Portuguesa, CBQF - Centro de Biotecnologia e Química Fina – Laboratório Associado, Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Rua Arquiteto Lobão Vital, 172, 4200-374 Porto, Portugal. Telefone : +351 22 5580001. Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia de Mato Grosso - Campus São Vicente, Rodovia BR-364, Km 329, s/n, 78106-970 Cuiabá/MT.

PhD student in biotechnology. Area science and technology of food, at the School of Biotechnology of the Portuguese Catholic University.

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Published

2020-07-31

How to Cite

1.
Vieira IR de F, Brandão T, Pinto E, Silva M. Genetically modified foods: construction and validation of a questionnaire to ascertain the knowledge, opinion and training of physicians and nutritionists. DEMETRA [Internet]. 2020 Jul. 31 [cited 2025 May 9];15:e42178. Available from: https://www.e-publicacoes.uerj.br/demetra/article/view/42178

Issue

Vol. 15 (2020)

Section

Basic and Experimental Nutrition

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