title: Fit for Purpose, Psychometric Assessment of the Eating Attitudes Test-26 in an Irish Adolescent Sample.
abstract: The present study examined the psychometric properties of the Eating Attitudes Test-26 (EAT-26) in a sample of Irish adolescents (N=2444). Consistent with previous research, in adolescents, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) failed to replicate the original three-factor structure of the EAT-26. Goodness-of-fit indices provided support for a recently published six-factor EAT-18 model. As the EAT-26 is typically used as a unitary measure by clinicians, a second-order factor model was investigated, which supported a general concept of eating problems. Convergent validity of the EAT-18 was assessed using the Eating Disorder Inventory-3 (EDI-3). Using the 90th percentile, a cut-off score of 13 was identified on the EAT-18 that discriminated between those indicative and non-indicative of disordered eating attitudes and behaviors. Findings suggest that the revised factor structures may be more suitable for the general adolescent population than the original three-factor EAT-26. Clinical implications of the EAT-18 and future research recommendations are addressed.
authors: UCD School of Psychology, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland. Electronic address: fionnuala.mcenery@gmail.com.
authors: Fionnuala
authors: F
authors: McEnery
authors: UCD School of Psychology, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland. Electronic address: amanda.fitzgerald@ucd.ie.
authors: Amanda
authors: A
authors: Fitzgerald
authors: Saint John of God Lucena Clinic Services, 59 Orwell Road, Rathgar, Dublin 6, Ireland; UCD School of Medicine, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland. Electronic address: fiona.mcnicholas@sjog.ie.
authors: Fiona
authors: F
authors: McNicholas
authors: UCD School of Psychology, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland. Electronic address: barbara.dooley@ucd.ie.
authors: Barbara
authors: B
authors: Dooley
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001290:Attitude; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011594:Psychometrics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results
keywords: Adolescents; Confirmatory factor analysis; Eat-26; Eating attitudes; Psychometrics