title: Factor structure and construct validity of the Eating Disorder Examination-Questionnaire in college students: further support for a modified brief version.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The Eating Disorder Examination-Questionnaire (EDE-Q) is widely used in research studies across clinical and nonclinical groups. Relatively little is known about psychometric properties of this measure and the available literature has not supported the proposed scale structure. This study evaluated the factor structure and construct validity of the EDE-Q in a nonclinical study group of young adults.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were 801 young adults (573 females and 228 males) enrolled at a large public university in the Midwestern United States who completed the EDE-Q and a battery of behavioral and psychological measures.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) revealed an inadequate fit for the original EDE-Q structure but revealed a good fit for an alternative structure suggested by recent research with predominately overweight/obese samples. CFA supported a modified seven-item, three-factor structure; the three factors were interpreted as dietary restraint, shape/weight overvaluation, and body dissatisfaction. Factor loadings and item intercepts were invariant across sex and overweight status. The three factors had less redundancy than the original EDE-Q scales and demonstrated improved convergent and discriminant validity in relation to relevant other measures.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These factor-analytic findings, which replicate findings from studies with diverse predominately overweight/obese samples, supported a modified seven-item, three-factor structure for the EDE-Q with improved psychometric characteristics. The findings provide further empirical support for the distinction between body dissatisfaction and overvaluation and have implications for assessment and research. These findings need to be replicated in samples of persons with eating-disorder psychopathology including those with anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and allied states.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.
authors.forename: Carlos M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Grilo
authors.forename: Deborah L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Reas
authors.forename: Christopher J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Hopwood
authors.forename: Ross D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Crosby
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D001828:Body Image / Q000523:psychology; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D052018:Bulimia Nervosa / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000523:psychology; D050177:Overweight / Q000523:psychology; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D010555:Personality Inventory; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011594:Psychometrics; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: assessment; body image; eating behaviors; eating disorders; overweight