title: [Validation of the SCOFF questionnaire for screening of eating disorders in university women].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The prevalence of eating disorders has been steadily increasing in recent years. This has led to a growing sense that instruments are necessary for early detection in high risk populations.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Herein the SCOFF (sick, control, one, fat, food) questionnaire was examined for its internal consistency, reliability, and criterion validity in screening eating disorders among university women.
  
  
  METHODS
  A sample of 385 students was selected at random from six schools in the Universidad Autonóma de Bucaramanga, Colombia, and were evaluated independently with the SCOFF questionnaire and a CIDI (Composite International Diagnostic Interview).
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 149 (38.7%) students were positive for eating disorder syndromes according to the SCOFF questionnaire, whereas 82 (21.2%) students met eating disorder using the CIDI. SCOFF questionnaire sensitivity was 78.4% (95%CI 64-88%), specificity 75.8% (95%CI 69-82%), ROC curve area 0.823 (95%CI 0.76-0.89), Cronbach's alpha 0.480, Cohen's kappa 0.433 (95%CI 0.32-0.55), and test-retest concordance 91.6% (95%CI 86-96).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data indicate the SCOFF questionnaire to be a good scale in screening for eating disorders among university women. Its added advantages are that the test is simple and brief.
authors: Facultad de Medicina, Grupo de Neuropsiquiatría, Universidad Autónoma de Bucaramanga, Bucaramanga, Colombia. gredu@unab.edu.co
authors: German Eduardo
authors: GE
authors: Rueda
authors: Luis Alfonso
authors: LA
authors: Díaz
authors: Adalberto
authors: A
authors: Campo
authors: Jaider Alfonso
authors: JA
authors: Barros
authors: Gissel Constanza
authors: GC
authors: Avila
authors: Lutzi Tathiana
authors: LT
authors: Oróstegui
authors: Betty Cecilia
authors: BC
authors: Osorio
authors: Laura del Pilar
authors: Ldel P
authors: Cadena
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014495:Universities