title: Three factor eating questionnaire-R18 as a measure of cognitive restraint, uncontrolled eating and emotional eating in a sample of young Finnish females.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of the study was to examine the construct validity of the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire -R18 (TFEQ-R18), a measure of eating behaviour, and to evaluate cognitive restraint, uncontrolled eating and emotional eating in a sample of adolescent and young adult females of different weights.
  
  
  METHODS
  Subjects were 2 997 females, aged 17 to 20 years, who participated in a phase III human papillomavirus vaccination trial in Finland in 2004 - 2009.Self-administered questionnaires and weight and height measurements were used. The factor structure of the TFEQ-R18 was verified by factor analysis. Connections between measured eating behaviour and Body Mass Index (BMI) were tested using analysis of variance.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The original factor structure of the TFEQ-R18 was replicated: six of the eighteen items measured cognitive restraint, nine measured uncontrolled eating, and three measured emotional eating. On average, higher BMI was associated with higher levels of cognitive restraint (p < 0.001) and emotional eating (p < 0.001), but not with uncontrolled eating.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Structural validity of the TFEQ-R18 was good in this sample of young Finnish females with a varying range of body weights. Use of the instrument as a measure of eating behaviour was thus corroborated. Connections of restrained and emotional eating with BMI were in accordance with previous findings from young females.
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland. susanna.angle@uta.fi.
authors.forename: Susanna
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Anglé
authors.forename: Janne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Engblom
authors.forename: Tiina
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Eriksson
authors.forename: Susanna
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kautiainen
authors.forename: Marja-Terttu
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Saha
authors.forename: Pirjo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lindfors
authors.forename: Matti
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lehtinen
authors.forename: Arja
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rimpelä