Updating and Content Validation of the Healthy Food Entrepreneurship Module (RightDiet4U) for Food Vendors

Abstract

The increasing trend of eating out has contributed to the rise of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Malaysia, where food vendors play a vital role in shaping community eating habits. A training module to empower food vendors to offer healthy menus had been developed before the COVID-19 era. However, the foodservice landscape has since experienced significant changes, including the rise of food delivery services, evolving menu trends, and shifting food preferences. Furthermore, current training modules often lack integration between healthy eating principles, practical food preparation techniques, and essential entrepreneurship skills. This study aimed to update and validate the content of the pre-existing RightDiet4U module, ensuring its relevance for training food vendors to offer healthy menu options in the evolving foodservice landscape. A two-phase mixed-methods study was conducted. Phase 1 involved a needs assessment utilizing focus group discussions and semi-structured questionnaires with diverse stakeholders; food vendors, dietitians, chefs, and a business consultant. Phase 2 focused on module refinement and content validation using the Content Validity Index (CVI) by expert evaluators, including dietitians, chefs, and business professionals. The updated RightDiet4U Module Version 2.0 demonstrated strong acceptability in the needs assessment (average topic scores ranging from 3.64–3.91 out of 4.00). Furthermore, it featured strong content validity, with an overall S-CVI/Ave of 0.98 from the expert panels. The Modified Kappa (κ*) values ranged from 0.85 to 1.00, indicating excellent agreement beyond chance. RightDiet4U Module Version 2.0 is a content-valid, relevant training tool to empower food vendors and promote healthy food entrepreneurship in Malaysia. It holds potential in enhancing the availability of healthy foods options and indirectly supporting national public health efforts in combating NCDs.