Test-retest reliability of selected HBSC items in Vietnam: well-being, physical and sedentary activities, and eating behaviours

Background Valid and reliable research tools to assess children's and adolescent's health-related behaviour are highly needed across the globe. Rapid economic development, globalization, and associated lifestyle challenges observed in most countries support the need for high-quality evidence in adolescents to target health-promoting policies and interventions. This study aims to examine the test-retest reliability of selected well-being, physical and screen-time related siting activities, and eating behaviour items of the Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children (HBSC) questionnaire in a sample of Vietnamese adolescents. Methods Data were collected in autumn 2018 in Vietnam (3-week interval). The sample consisted of 410 adolescents (41.0% of boys; mean age = 12.61; SD = 1.24).Test-retest reliability was evaluated using the single measure Intraclass Correlation Coefficients (ICC) and Cohen's kappa statistic stratified by sex, grade and place of residence (urban or rural). Results The reliability analyses of the well-being items were poor to good ICC values (0.43-0.79) and moderate to large Cohen's kappa values (0.33-0.77). The physical activity and eating behaviour items were moderate (ICC = 0.54-0.65; Cohen's kappa = 0.38-0.57). The screen-time related siting activities items were moderate to large (ICC = 0.51-0.72; Cohen's kappa = 0.42-0.53). There was more item stability among females than males. The social media item was not as stable for 6(th) graders (ICC = 0.45) compared with older adolescents (ICC 0.68-0.77). Conclusions The findings show that with regards to age, sex and place of residence, self-reported health, life satisfaction, physical and screen-time related siting activities, as well as eating behaviour items of the HBSC questionnaire have a sufficient test-retest reliability to be used in national self-report surveys for Vietnamese adolescents while health complaints items showed borderline reliability.