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Examining the Binge Eating Scale in Screening for Binge Eating Disorder in Bariatric Surgery Candidates

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Abstract

Background

This study assessed the utility of the Binge Eating Scale (BES) as a measure of binge eating disorder (BED) in a bariatric surgery-seeking population by (a) determining the optimal BES cut score for predicting BED, (b) calculating concordance statistics, and (c) determining the predictive value of each BES item.

Methods

Four hundred seventy-three patients presented for a psychological evaluation prior to Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery. The BES and the SCID semi-structured interview for BED were administered.

Results

Receiver operating characteristic curve analyses identified an optimal BES cut score of 17, which correctly classified 78% of patients with BED. A cut score of 27 improved this statistic, but significantly increased the number of false negatives, which is undesirable for a screening assessment. Discriminant function analyses revealed that nearly all BES items significantly predicted BED.

Conclusions

The BES is a valid screener of BED for patients seeking bariatric surgery; however, false positives can be expected. Administering the BES as part of a comprehensive psychological evaluation can help improve the assessment and treatment of patients presenting for bariatric surgery.

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Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Behavioral Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, 1645 W. Jackson Blvd, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA

    Allison E. Grupski, Megan M. Hood, Stephanie L. Fitzpatrick & Joyce A. Corsica

  2. Department of Psychology, Kent State University, Kent, OH, USA

    Brian J. Hall

  3. Department of Psychiatry, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA

    Brian J. Hall

  4. Psychology Department, North Central College, Naperville, IL, USA

    Leila Azarbad

  5. Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, USA

    Stephanie L. Fitzpatrick

Authors
  1. Allison E. Grupski
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  2. Megan M. Hood
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  3. Brian J. Hall
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  4. Leila Azarbad
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  5. Stephanie L. Fitzpatrick
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  6. Joyce A. Corsica
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Allison E. Grupski.

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Grupski, A.E., Hood, M.M., Hall, B.J. et al. Examining the Binge Eating Scale in Screening for Binge Eating Disorder in Bariatric Surgery Candidates. OBES SURG 23, 1–6 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11695-011-0537-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11695-011-0537-4

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