title: Validation of the SCOFF questionnaire for screening of eating disorders among Mexican university students.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the criterion validity and diagnostic utility of the SCOFF, a brief eating disorder (ED) screening instrument, in a Mexican sample.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was conducted in two phases in 2012. Phase I involved the administration of self-report measures [the SCOFF and the Eating Disorder Inventory-2, (EDI-2)] to 1057 students aged 17-56 years (M age = 21.0, SD = 3.4; 67 % female) from three colleges at the Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, Mexico. In Phase II, a random subsample of these students (n = 104) participated in the eating disorder examination, a structured interview that yields ED diagnoses. Analyses were conducted to evaluate the SCOFF's criterion validity by examining (a) correlations between scores on the SCOFF and the EDI-2 and (b) the SCOFF's ability to differentiate diagnosed ED cases and non-cases.
  
  
  RESULTS
  EDI-2 subscales showed high correlations with the SCOFF scores proving initial evidence of criterion validity. A score of two points on the SCOFF optimized the sensitivity (78 %) and specificity (84 %). With this cutoff, the SCOFF correctly classified over half the cases (PPV = 58 %) and screened out the majority of non-cases (NPV = 93 %) providing further evidence of criterion validity. Analyses were repeated separately for men and women, yielding gender-specific information on the SCOFF's performance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Taken as a whole, results indicated that the SCOFF can be a useful tool for identifying Mexican university students who are at risk of eating disorders.
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, Carretera Central Km. 424.5, 78494, San Luis Potosí, Mexico. omarsac@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Omar
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8064-2502
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Sanchez-Armass
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Development and Family Studies, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2003 Doris Kelley Christopher Hall, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA.
authors.forename: Marcela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Raffaelli
authors.affiliation: Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2011 Huff Hall, 1206 S. Fourth St., Champaign, IL, 6182, USA.
authors.forename: Flavia Cristina Drumond
authors.initials: FCD
authors.lastname: Andrade
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Development and Family Studies, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2003 Doris Kelley Christopher Hall, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA.
authors.forename: Angela R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Wiley
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, Carretera Central Km. 424.5, 78494, San Luis Potosí, Mexico.
authors.forename: Aida Nacielli Morales
authors.initials: ANM
authors.lastname: Noyola
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, Carretera Central Km. 424.5, 78494, San Luis Potosí, Mexico.
authors.forename: Alejandra Cepeda
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Arguelles
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, Avenida Venustiano Carranza No 2405., Col. Los filtros, 7821, San Luis Potosí, Mexico.
authors.forename: Celia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Aradillas-Garcia
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D008800:Mexico; D008875:Middle Aged; D057566:Self Report; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012737:Sex Factors; D013334:Students; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Eating disorder examination; Eating disorder inventory; Eating disorders; Mexico; SCOFF; Validation