Selecting Valid Questionnaires for a Longitudinal Study of African-American College Student Health

Purpose: To create a modular public health questionnaire that can be used to conduct longitudinal academic research in the areas of sleep habits, dietary habits, cardiovascular disease risk, and physical activity and sedentary behavior in an African American collegiate population. Methods: A literature search for questionnaires used in collegiate studies was conducted separately for each category via PubMed. Valid questionnaires were identified and critically reviewed. Results: Questionnaires recommended for use were the Munich Chronotype Questionnaire, Rate Your Plate Questionnaire, and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Form. For the category of cardiovascular disease risk, no calculators provide a result for individuals under to age of 20. It is recommended that for this category, the data required for risk calculation be collected and analyzed as separate variables, and a brief family history of premature cardiovascular disease be collected as well. Conclusion: We chose categories that are behavioral, and therefore modifiable, and are areas of concern for either college students or African Americans. The data collected using this tool will be used to further the knowledge of African American collegiate health as well as help to shape the behavioral health interventions for this population.