Development and Psychometric Properties of a Self-Efficacy Scale for Healthy Meals in a Diverse Sample of Adults

Background Many U.S. adults do not meet recommended dietary guidelines, partly due to low self-efficacy (SE) in overcoming barriers to preparing healthy meals. Existing SE measures are often lengthy, lack psychometric testing, and do not assess these barriers. To address this gap, we developed the Self-Efficacy Scale for Healthy Meals and examined its structural validity and reliability. Methods The SE Scale for Healthy Meals was constructed following established scale development guidelines and refined through expert reviews, reducing an initial pool of 40 items to 11. We conducted confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) using a diverse sample of 139 adults, recruited both online and from a lifestyle medicine trial. CFA models tested one-factor (“Self-Efficacy”) and two factor (“Situational Barriers” and “Resource Barriers”) structures using robust maximum likelihood estimation. Construct validity was assessed through model fit indices, factor loadings, and inter-item correlations, while internal consistency reliability was evaluated using Cronbach’s alpha and Raykov’s rho. Results The two-factor model demonstrated superior fit (RMSEA = 0.042; SRMR 0.052; CFI = 0.963; TLI = 0.952) compared to the one-factor solution, confirmed by a significant Satorra-Bentler scaled chi-square difference test (ΔSB c ²  = 21.93, p < 0.001). Internal consistency reliability was acceptable to good (Cronbach’s a and Raykov’s r > 0.70). Conclusions The SE Scale for Healthy Meals has adequate psychometric properties, including good reliability and structural validity, when conceptualized as a two-factor measure. This tool is useful for designing and evaluating interventions to enhance cooking SE and promote healthy dietary behaviors.