Development and validation of the Full Restaurant Evaluation Supporting a Healthy (FRESH) Dining Environment Audit

ABSTRACTThe Full Restaurant Evaluation Supporting a Healthy (FRESH) Dining Environment Audit was developed and validated to assess cafeterias and restaurants (n = 362). Each scale item was scored using a 5-point semantic-differential rating (1 = little/no options/support to 5 = extensive options/high support for healthy food selection). Statistical analysis included factor analysis, analysis of variance, and correlations. The Healthfulness of Foods (HF) sub-scale assessed menu descriptions to determine healthful foods availability (12 items, α = .82, possible = 60). The Dining Environmental Supports (ES) sub-scale assessed nutrition information/labeling, signage/posters, and portion/cup sizes (eight items, α = .78; possible = 40). Cafeterias consistently scored higher than other restaurant types on HF (29.45 ± 12.17 SD) and ES (22.10 ± 5.27 SD). Convergent validity was confirmed (n = 91; HF: r = .854, p ≤ .001 and ES: r = .529, p ≤ .01). The FRESH audit is a simple tool that effectively assessed differenc...