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The development and validation of the secondary exercise addiction scale

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

Abstract

Objectives

Exercise addiction can be secondary to eating disorders, or a primary condition in the absence of another disorder. Currently, to determine secondary exercise addiction, two screening tools must be administered. The aim of this study was to validate a novel screening tool able to stratify between primary and secondary exercise addiction, called the secondary exercise addiction scale (SEAS).

Methods

Phase 1 (n = 339) described the statistical reduction of an initial pool of scale items. Phase 2 (n = 382) used a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to examine the robustness of the latent structure. Phase 3 (n = 721) determined cut off scores for the eating disorder and exercise addiction sections of the SEAS and determine concurrent reliability with the exercise addiction inventory (EAI) and the SCOFF questionnaires. Phase 4 (n = 45) determined test–retest reliability.

Results

Phase 1 extracted two components: exercise addiction and eating disorder symptomology, with 11 items retained. The CFA in Phase 2 showed an acceptable fit to the proposed model (comparative fit index = 0.93, Tucker Lewis Index = 0.91). Phase 3 determined cut off scores of  ≥ 28 (specificity = 91.97%), and  ≥ 20 (specificity = 96.27%) in the respective exercise addiction and eating disorders sections of the SEAS. The respective sections also correlated well with the EAI (r = 0.70, p =  < 0.001) and the SCOFF (r = 0.72, p =  < 0.001). Phase 4 showed excellent test–retest reliability (exercise addiction r = 0.95, p =  < 0.001, eating disorders r = 0.93, p =  < 0.001).

Conclusion

The SEAS appears to be a valid and reliable tool for measuring primary and secondary exercise addiction. Further studies are warranted to further validate this tool amongst clinical populations.

Level of evidence

Level III: evidence obtained from cohort or case–control analytic studies.

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Funding

This study received no funding.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cambridge Centre for Sport and Exercise Sciences, Anglia Ruskin University, Compass House, Cambridge, CB1 1PT, England

    M. Trott, J. Johnstone & L Smith

  2. Vision and Eye Research Institute, Anglia Ruskin University, Young Street, Cambridge, England

    M. Trott

  3. NTU Psychology, School of Social Sciences, Nottingham Trent University, 50 Shakespeare Street, Nottingham, NG1 4FQ, England

    D. T. McDermott

  4. Cygnet Healthcare, Ealing, London, W5 2HT, England

    A Mistry

  5. Royal College of Psychiatrists Sport and Exercise Special Interest Group, 21 Prescot Street, London, E1 8BB, England

    A Mistry

Authors
  1. M. Trott
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  2. J. Johnstone
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  3. D. T. McDermott
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  4. A Mistry
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  5. L Smith
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Contributions

MT conceptualisation, data acquisition, data analysis, writing, JJ supervision, critical analysis of manuscript, DM initial development of questions, critical revision of manuscript, supervision, AM initial development of questions, critical revision of manuscript, supervision, LS—conceptualisation, data acquisition, data analysis, critical revision, supervision.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to M. Trott.

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Conflicts of interest

The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare. Ethical approval was sought after and approved by Anglia Ruskin University Sport and Exercise Sciences Departmental Ethics Panel (ESPGR-13 and ESPGR-20). All participants in this study provided their informed consent including the right to withdraw.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the Anglia Ruskin University Science and Engineering ethics committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Informed consent

All participants provided informed consent for all relevent phases of this study.

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Trott, M., Johnstone, J., McDermott, D.T. et al. The development and validation of the secondary exercise addiction scale. Eat Weight Disord 27, 1427–1436 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40519-021-01284-4

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