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French validation of the addiction-like eating behavior scale and its clinical implication

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Eating and Weight Disorders - Studies on Anorexia, Bulimia and Obesity Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

The first conception of food addiction (FA) as substance addiction, measured by the Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS), is controversial. Some proposed that FA would be better conceptualized with a behavioral approach. In accordance with this conceptualization, Ruddock and colleagues published a new self-reported scale for food addiction, the Addiction-like Eating Behavior Scale (AEBS). Overall, preliminary validation of the scale demonstrated good psychometric properties with a community sample. The aim of the present study is twofold, to validate the French–Canadian version of the AEBS with a community sample and to examine how well the instrument fits into a clinical sample with overweight/obesity.

Methods

A community sample (N = 466) and a clinical sample with overweight/obesity seeking help for their eating difficulties (N = 126) completed an online survey regarding FA, binge eating, dietary restraint, depression, and BMI. Factor analysis, internal consistency, and construct validity were assessed.

Results

With the community sample, factorial structure, and psychometric properties of the AEBS were replicated. With the clinical sample, proper convergent validity was demonstrated with the YFAS 2.0 and binge eating, and proper divergent validity was demonstrated with dietary restraint. Among the clinical sample, AEBS explain similar variance of BMI and depression level when compared to YFAS 2.0.

Conclusion

This study provided evidence that the French–Canadian version of the AEBS is a valid measure of food addiction, but it did not permit to establish advantages over YFAS 2.0 with a clinical sample. Clinical implications of the AEBS and FA characteristic are discussed.

Level of evidence

Level V, cross-sectional, descriptive study.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Lisa-Marie Beaupré, Lisa-Marie Deschênes, and Rachel Veilleux for their participation in the project and Hélène Paradis for statistical analysis guidance.

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  1. School of Psychology, Pavillon Félix-Antoine-Savard, Laval University, 2325, rue des Bibliothèques, Quebec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada

    Maxime Legendre & Catherine Bégin

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Correspondence to Catherine Bégin.

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The authors have no conflicts of interest to report. Maxime Legendre received grants from the Fonds Québécois de la Recherche Santé and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research during this study. The authors confirm that the research presented in this article met the ethical guidelines, including adherence to the legal requirements, of Canada and received approval from the Laval University’s Institutional Review Board.

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Legendre, M., Bégin, C. French validation of the addiction-like eating behavior scale and its clinical implication. Eat Weight Disord 26, 1893–1902 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40519-020-01039-7

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