Abstract 4371333: Diet and Exercise Adaptation to Stress Questionnaire: Development and Initial Psychometric Testing

Background: Allostatic load scores have been used to quantify the physiological pathways in the stress-metabolic relationship, reflecting cumulative physiological "wear and tear" from hyperactivity in the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis. Yet, the behavioral pathway in the stress-metabolic relationship remains difficult to quantify. This study aims to a) develop a metabolic wellness measure, Diet and Exercise Adaptation to Stress (DEAS) Questionnaire, and b) evaluate its construct validity. Methods: This 24-item Diet and Exercise Adaptation to Stress (DEAS-24) Questionnaire was developed based on a literature review and behavioral pathways in McEwen’s Allostatic Load Framework (1993). DEAS-24 assesses three constructs: dietary adaptability, exercise adaptability, and mind-body strain in two domains (occupational and family) relevant to most working adults. Face validity was good, established by an interdisciplinary, expert panel (n=7). With a cross-sectional design, a psychometric evaluation was conducted using a convenience sample of 333 middle-aged and older adults with sedentary occupations. Internal consistency was evaluated using McDonald’s omega. Construct validity was assessed using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Results: An initial three-factor CFA solution suggested weak loadings on 4 items (2 from occupation and 2 from family domain). One item was removed because of low internal consistency. After removing these five items, the 19-item DEAS (DEAS-19) retained satisfactory model fit indexes in the CFA model (CFI = 0.936, TLI = 0.927, RMSEA = 0.088, and SRMR = 0.076). The internal consistency of subscales was acceptable with McDonald’s omegas of 0.756, 0.709, and 0.796 for dietary and exercise adaptability, and mind-body strain, respectively. Conclusion: Findings indicate an acceptable internal consistency and satisfactory construct validity of DEAS-19 with three factors. Thus, the relations among items and subscales are consistent with the behavioral pathways in the Allostatic Load Framework. Next, we will a) evaluate the criterion validity of our DEAS-19 and b) assess its correlation with biological allostatic load scores. Ultimately, DEAS could be applied in diet and exercise interventions to assess individuals’ metabolic wellness at work and home, and help researchers uncover the behavioral and environmental mechanisms of metabolic resilience.