Reliability of a telephone questionnaire measuring diet and activity level in cats

Abstract

A telephone questionnaire was developed to collect information on diet and activity level as part of a study examining long-term outcome of early age versus traditional age gonadectomy in cats. The objectives of this study were to measure the reliability of the questionnaire using the retest approach, to describe changes in diet and activity level over a period of 1 to 2 years, and to determine whether current diet and activity level characteristics interfere with ability to recall past information. A total of 100 previously interviewed cat owners completed the second administration of the telephone questionnaire. The interval between the first and second administration of the questionnaire ranged from 6 months to 2.6 years, with a median interval of 1.5 years. Owners answered questions related to activity level, appetite, body condition, diet type and brand, frequency of feeding, indoor/outdoor status, and time spent outdoors. All variables measured in the questionnaire were analyzed using kappa. Reliability was poor for questions referring to activity level, appetite, body condition, type and brand of treats fed, and table scraps. Reliability was moderate for questions referring to brand of dry and canned foods fed, frequency of feeding, and time spent outdoors. Reliability was high for questions referring to whether dry and canned foods were fed and indoor/outdoor status. Change over time was moderate to high for all variables measured with the exception of whether dry diet was fed and indoor/outdoor status. Recall of all variables, with the exception of body condition, was at least moderately influenced by current characteristics.