title: Comparison between the SCOFF Questionnaire and the Eating Attitudes Test in patients with eating disorders.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The SCOFF was developed as a simple, five-question screening tool for eating disorders to be used in primary care. The aim of this study was to examine the appropriateness of each question in comparison with the Eating Attitudes Test-26.
  
  
  METHODS
  The SCOFF and the EAT-26 were administered to 80 patients with eating disorders who had received treatment from May through October 2003 in Japan.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The scores of the SCOFF and those of the EAT-26 were positively correlated (P<0.001), and each question of the SCOFF was strongly associated with different items of the EAT-26. The detection rates with the SCOFF of the patients with anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa and that of the patients with eating disorders not otherwise specified (EDNOS) were 96.2 and 48.1%, respectively. The scores of the SCOFF and the values of body mass index were significantly correlated (P=0.041), and the detection rate with the SCOFF of patients with low body weight and EDNOS was low (10%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Each question of the SCOFF has been selected appropriately for reflecting characteristics of eating disorders, although one question about body weight loss should be modified to detect patients with anorexia nervosa more accurately.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Shun'Ichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Noma
authors.forename: Yoshikatsu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nakai
authors.forename: Seiji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hamagaki
authors.forename: Minako
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Uehara
authors.forename: Akiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.forename: Takuji
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hayashi
keywords: Eating Attitudes Test-26; Eating disorders; SCOFF; primary care; screening tool