Fragebogen zur Erfassung des Gesundheitsverhaltens (FEG-85)

Introduction

The Fragebogen zur Erfassung des Gesundheitsverhaltens (FEG-85) is a comprehensive self-report questionnaire developed to assess health-related behaviors across multiple lifestyle domains. The instrument provides a multidimensional evaluation of behaviors associated with health promotion, disease prevention, and overall well-being. Owing to its broad scope, the FEG-85 is widely used in health psychology, public health research, and preventive medicine to examine lifestyle patterns and factors influencing health outcomes.

Description

The FEG-85 consists of 85 items covering seven major domains of health behavior:

• Nutrition.
• Physical activity.
• Smoking.
• Alcohol consumption.
• Preventive health behaviors.
• Medication use.
• Sleep and well-being.

Each domain generates an independent behavioral index, allowing researchers to evaluate specific lifestyle dimensions individually or combine them into broader assessments of health behavior.

Purpose

The FEG-85 is designed to:

• Assess health-related lifestyle behaviors.
• Identify behavioral risk and protective factors.
• Examine relationships between health behaviors, personality, and demographic characteristics.
• Evaluate health promotion and prevention programs.
• Monitor behavioral changes following clinical or public health interventions.

Administration

The questionnaire is self-administered and typically requires 20–30 minutes to complete. Depending on the item format, participants respond using 4-point, 5-point, or 7-point Likert scales, while some questions require selecting one or more predefined responses.

Scoring

Each health domain is scored separately using summed or averaged item responses. Composite behavioral indices can be calculated for individual domains or combined to provide an overall profile of health-related behaviors. Higher scores generally indicate healthier behaviors or stronger endorsement of positive health practices, depending on the specific domain.

Interpretation

The FEG-85 provides a multidimensional profile of an individual’s health behaviors, enabling the identification of strengths and areas requiring behavioral modification. Because each domain is evaluated independently, results can be used to develop personalized prevention strategies or monitor changes over time.

Statistical Analysis

The psychometric evaluation of the FEG-85 commonly includes:

• Descriptive statistics.
• Internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha).
• Correlation analysis.
• Group comparisons (t-test, ANOVA).
• Multiple regression analysis.
• Multivariate statistical analyses.

Published studies report satisfactory reliability across most subscales, with Cronbach’s alpha values varying according to the behavioral domain.

Applications

The FEG-85 is widely used in:

• Health psychology.
• Public health research.
• Lifestyle medicine.
• Behavioral medicine.
• Preventive healthcare.
• Health promotion program evaluation.

Advantages

• Comprehensive assessment of multiple health behaviors.
• Suitable for clinical, epidemiological, and community-based research.
• Flexible scoring for individual behavioral domains.
• Supports the evaluation of prevention and intervention programs.

Limitations

The FEG-85 is a self-report instrument and may be affected by recall bias and social desirability. Some subscales demonstrate moderate internal consistency, and interpretation should consider cultural context and complementary clinical or behavioral assessments.

References

Dlugosch, G. E. (1994). Veränderungen des Gesundheitsverhaltens während einer Kur. Eine Längsschnittstudie zur Reliabilitäts- und Validitätsprüfung des Fragebogens zur Erfassung des Gesundheitsverhaltens (FEG).

Dlugosch, G. E., & Krieger, W. (1995). Fragebogen zur Erfassung des Gesundheitsverhaltens (FEG): Handanweisung.

Sofianopoulou, A., & Kalantzi-Azzi, A. (2003). Description of Health-Related Behaviors: Nutrition, Exercise, Alcohol Consumption, Smoking and Sleep.