The Conception, Validation, and Reliability of the Questionnaire for Screen Time of Adolescents (QueST)

Abstract

Purpose: This study analyzed the content validity and reliability of the Questionnaire for Screen Time of Adolescents (QueST). Methods: QueST measures screen time across five constructs: studying, working/internship-related activities, watching videos, playing video games, and using social media/chat applications. The content validity, including a pretest, was carried out by experts and adolescents. For reliability analysis, QueST was applied and reapplied after one week in a sample of 104 adolescents (16.3 ± 1.02 years; 66.3% girls). Results: The Content Validity Index for Scales indicated 94% and 98% of overall clarity and representativeness, respectively. The QueST was considered comprehensible and clear by adolescents. The intraclass correlation coefficients ranged from 0.41 (95% CI 0.24, 0.56) for videos to 0.76 (95% CI 0.66, 0.83) for social media/chat applications on a weekday, and from 0.24 (95% CI 0.04; 0.41) for videos to 0.67 (95% CI 0.54; 0.77) for social media/chat applications on weekends. Conclusions: The QueST has demonstrated satisfactory content validity; however, measuring the time watching videos during free-living is a challenge for researchers. In general, the QueST is recommended to measure different screen time constructs.