Factor structure and construct validity of the eating disorder examination-questionnaire in college students: Further support for a modified brief version

• Published in: The International journal of eating disorders Vol. 48; no. 3; pp. 284 - 289
• Main Authors: Grilo, Carlos M., Reas, Deborah L., Hopwood, Christopher J., Crosby, Ross D.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.04.2015; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Anorexia Nervosa - diagnosis; Anorexia Nervosa - psychology; assessment; body image; Body Image - psychology; Body Weight - physiology; Bulimia Nervosa - diagnosis; Bulimia Nervosa - psychology; Discriminant analysis; eating behaviors; Eating disorders; Feeding and Eating Disorders - diagnosis; Feeding and Eating Disorders - psychology; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Obesity; Obesity - psychology; overweight; Overweight - psychology; Personal Satisfaction; Personality Inventory; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; Psychometrics; Psychopathology; Quantitative psychology; Surveys and Questionnaires; Young Adult; Young adults; United States > US; eating behaviors; assessment; body image; eating disorders; overweight
• ISSN: 0276-3478; 1098-108X
• DOI: 10.1002/eat.22358

ABSTRACT Objective The Eating Disorder Examination‐Questionnaire (EDE‐Q) is widely used in research studies across clinical and nonclinical groups. Relatively little is known about psychometric properties of this measure and the available literature has not supported the proposed scale structure. This study evaluated the factor structure and construct validity of the EDE‐Q in a nonclinical study group of young adults. Method Participants were 801 young adults (573 females and 228 males) enrolled at a large public university in the Midwestern United States who completed the EDE‐Q and a battery of behavioral and psychological measures. Results Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) revealed an inadequate fit for the original EDE‐Q structure but revealed a good fit for an alternative structure suggested by recent research with predominately overweight/obese samples. CFA supported a modified seven‐item, three‐factor structure; the three factors were interpreted as dietary restraint, shape/weight overvaluation, and body dissatisfaction. Factor loadings and item intercepts were invariant across sex and overweight status. The three factors had less redundancy than the original EDE‐Q scales and demonstrated improved convergent and discriminant validity in relation to relevant other measures. Discussion These factor‐analytic findings, which replicate findings from studies with diverse predominately overweight/obese samples, supported a modified seven‐item, three‐factor structure for the EDE‐Q with improved psychometric characteristics. The findings provide further empirical support for the distinction between body dissatisfaction and overvaluation and have implications for assessment and research. These findings need to be replicated in samples of persons with eating‐disorder psychopathology including those with anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and allied states. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. (Int J Eat Disord 2015; 48:284–289)