Test–retest reliability of selected HBSC items in Vietnam: well-being, physical and sedentary activities, and eating behaviours

Background: Valid and reliable research tools to assess children’s and adolescent’s health-related behaviour are highly needed across the globe. Rapid economic development, globalization, and associated lifestyle challenges observed in most countries support the need for high-quality evidence in adolescents to target health-promoting policies and interventions. This study aims to examine the test–retest reliability of selected well-being, physical and screen-time related siting activities, and eating behaviour items of the Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children (HBSC) questionnaire in a sample of Vietnamese adolescents.

Methods: Data were collected in autumn 2018 in Vietnam (3-week interval). The sample consisted of 410 adolescents (41.0% of boys; mean age=12.61; SD=1.24).Test–retest reliability was evaluated using the single measure Intra-class Correlation Coefcients (ICC) and Cohen’s kappa statistic stratifed by sex, grade and place of residence (urban or rural).

Results: The reliability analyses of the well-being items were poor to good ICC values (0.43–0.79) and moderate to large Cohen’s kappa values (0.33–0.77). The physical activity and eating behaviour items were moderate (ICC=0.54–0.65; Cohen’s kappa=0.38–0.57). The screen-time related siting activities items were moderate to large (ICC=0.51–0.72; Cohen’s kappa=0.42–0.53). There was more item stability among females than males. The social media item was not as stable for 6th graders (ICC=0.45) compared with older adolescents (ICC 0.68–0.77).

Conclusions: The fndings show that with regards to age, sex and place of residence, self-reported health, life satisfaction, physical and screen-time related siting activities, as well as eating behaviour items of the HBSC questionnaire have a sufcient test–retest reliability to be used in national self-report surveys for Vietnamese adolescents while health complaints items showed borderline reliability.