Validity of the Arabic version of the Eating Attitude Test.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the validity of the Eating Attitude Test (EAT-26) in Arabic as a screening instrument in nonclinical populations.


METHODS
A representative sample of Grade 7-12 female students in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, was selected randomly but proportional to various social classes. The girls were independently assessed by the EAT-26 and a structured clinical interview.


RESULTS
One hundred twenty-nine subjects were included. Twenty-five were identified by EAT-26 as having abnormal eating attitudes. One case was identified as anorexia nervosa by the interview and no cases of bulimia were found.


CONCLUSIONS
EAT-26 was found to be highly sensitive and reasonably specific. Like some other studies in non-Western populations, it yielded a high false positive rate and a low positive predictive value. Because of its low cost and practicality, EAT-26 might be a useful tool in screening large populations for eating disorders.
al-Subaie
A
A
College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
al-Shammari
S
S
Bamgboye
E
E
al-Sabhan
K
K
al-Shehri
S
S
Bannah
A R
AR
D000293:Adolescent; D003469:Culture; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011581:Psychological Tests; D011594:Psychometrics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012529:Saudi Arabia; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity