title: Italian version of the Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire. Psychometric proprieties and measurement invariance across sex, BMI-status and age.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to examine the basic psychometric proprieties of the Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire (DEBQ) and its measurement invariance across sex, BMI-status (normal weight/overweight), and age in a community sample of 990 Italian adults. The analysis of the dimensionality of the DEBQ using exploratory factor analysis revealed the existence of three major factors - emotional, restrained and external eating. Single and multi-group confirmatory factor analyses replicated the three-factor structure, and this dimensional structure proved to be invariant across sex, BMI-status, and age. Findings upheld the criterion-related validity (e.g., via its associations with Eating Attitudes Test-26). The DEBQ's subscales displayed high internal consistency and test-retest reliability over a 4-week period. Statistically significant differences were found when sex, BMI and age groups are compared in the latent means of emotional, external and restrained eating and they are discussed with reference to theory, past and recent empirical findings. Overall, results support the measurement invariance of the DEBQ and suggest that the Italian version is a psychometrically reliable, valid and useful measurement instrument for assessing adult eating behaviors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, P.za Botta 11, 27100 Pavia, Italy. Electronic address: antonios.dakanalis@unipv.it.
authors.forename: Antonios
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dakanalis
authors.forename: M Assunta
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Zanetti
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Clerici
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Madeddu
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Riva
authors.forename: Riccardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Caccialanza
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005006:Ethnicity; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands; D050177:Overweight / Q000523:psychology; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Adults; Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire; Eating style; Measurement invariance; Psychometric proprieties; Weight