title: Screening Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) in children: Outcomes from utilitarian versus specialist psychometrics.
abstract: This study assessed the specificity and sensitivity of two commonly used psychometric methods to assess ARFID in children. To achieve this, a sample of 329 mothers and one father completed the Behavioral Pediatrics Feeding Assessment Scale (BPFAS) and the Child Food Neophobia Scale (CFNS). A Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis indicated that both measures were able to successfully differentiate a known clinical sample from those of typically developing population. Although the BPFAS was more accurate at differentiating ARFID from the general population, the CFNS was acceptable and on some metrics better than its longer counterpart. The ability of a food neophobia scale to differentiate clinical and population samples, and detect gradation of food avoidance within the population sample, suggests that the multitude of psychometric measures available may be measuring similar constructs. Therefore, confidence can be expected in cross-site comparisons despite each using different psychometric measures of food avoidance in children.
authors: Institute of Environment, Health & Societies, Department of Life Sciences, Marie Jahoda Building, Brunel University London, Uxbridge UB8 3PH, United Kingdom. Electronic address: terence.dovey@brunel.ac.uk.
authors: Terence M
authors: TM
authors: Dovey
authors: UCL Institute of Child Health, 30 Guilford Street, London WC1N 1EH, United Kingdom.
authors: Victoria K
authors: VK
authors: Aldridge
authors: Midlands Psychology, Midland House, 19 Newport Road, Stafford, Staffordshire ST16 1BA, United Kingdom.
authors: Clarissa I
authors: CI
authors: Martin
authors: Institute for Pediatric Feeding Tube Management and Weaning, Siegburg, Germany.
authors: Markus
authors: M
authors: Wilken
authors: WMG, University of Warwick, Coventry, Warwickshire CV4 7AL, United Kingdom; Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust, Coventry, United Kingdom.
authors: Caroline
authors: C
authors: Meyer
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D004435:Eating / Q000523:psychology*; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D011594:Psychometrics
keywords: Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder; Childhood; Clinical