Assessing the psychometric properties of two food addiction scales.
While food addiction is well accepted in popular culture and mainstream media, its scientific validity as an addictive behavior is still under investigation. This study evaluated the reliability and validity of the Yale Food Addiction Scale and Modified Yale Food Addiction Scale using data from two community-based convenience samples.



We assessed the internal and test-retest reliability of the Yale Food Addiction Scale and Modified Yale Food Addiction Scale, and estimated the sensitivity and negative predictive value of the Modified Yale Food Addiction Scale using the Yale Food Addiction Scale as the benchmark. We calculated Cronbach's alphas and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for internal reliability and Cohen's Kappa coefficients and 95% CIs for test-retest reliability.



Internal consistency (n=232) was marginal to good, ranging from α=0.63 to 0.84. The test-retest reliability (n=45) for food addiction diagnosis was substantial, with Kappa=0.73 (95% CI, 0.48-0.88) (Yale Food Addiction Scale) and 0.79 (95% CI, 0.66-1.00) (Modified Yale Food Addiction Scale). Sensitivity and negative predictive value for classifying food addiction status were excellent: compared to the Yale Food Addiction Scale, the Modified Yale Food Addiction Scale's sensitivity was 92.3% (95% CI, 64%-99.8%), and the negative predictive value was 99.5% (95% CI, 97.5%-100%).



Our analyses suggest that the Modified Yale Food Addiction Scale may be an appropriate substitute for the Yale Food Addiction Scale when a brief measure is needed, and support the continued use of both scales to investigate food addiction.
Department of Epidemiology, Columbia University, Mailman School of Public Health, 722 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, USA. Electronic address: al2396@columbia.edu.
Adina R
AR
Lemeshow
Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, 2268 East Hall, 530 Church Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1043, USA. Electronic address: agearhar@umich.edu.
Ashley N
AN
Gearhardt
Department of Epidemiology, Columbia University, Mailman School of Public Health, 722 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, USA; Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, 1130 St Nicholas Avenue, New York, NY 10032, USA. Electronic address: jg3081@cumc.columbia.edu.
Jeanine M
JM
Genkinger
Department of Psychology, 950 S McAllister, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-1104, USA. Electronic address: wcorbin@asu.edu.
William R
WR
Corbin
D016739:Behavior, Addictive / Q000175:diagnosis*; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000592:standards*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
Food addiction; Reliability; Substance dependence; Validity