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Factor structure of a French version of the eating disorder examination-questionnaire among women with and without binge eating disorder symptoms

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Abstract

The Eating Disorder Examination-Questionnaire (EDE-Q) is a self-report questionnaire that is widely used to investigate the core features of eating disorders. The EDE-Q is derived from the Eating Disorder Examination, a semi-structured interview considered as the “gold standard” in the assessment of eating disorders. To verify the factor structure of both instruments, originally composed of four subscales, factor analyses have been conducted with various samples. Heterogeneous results were found. Because no study had investigated the factor structure of the EDE-Q in individuals with binge eating disorder, the goal of our study was to fill this gap. We started with a review of the studies on the EDE and EDE-Q factor structure to decide which models to compare. Among 21 studies that were identified, three models had been replicated several times. We compared these three models—a 22-item, 3-factor model, a brief 7-item, 3-factor model and a brief 8-item, 1-factor model—in two samples of participants, one with threshold and subthreshold criteria for binge eating disorder (N = 116) and one without eating disorders (N = 161). Confirmatory factor analysis revealed a good fit for the brief 7-item, 3-factor model for both populations, whereas other solutions were not acceptable. Cronbach’s alpha coefficients of the three factors were acceptable to good, ranging between 0.714 and 0.953. The group with binge eating disorder symptoms had significantly higher scores for each factor. This brief 7-item instrument might be useful for screening or short interventions.

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Acknowledgments

The data used in this study were collected from two studies partially supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF, Grant Number 100011-108168/1), the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation and funding from the Marie Curie Research Training Network INTACT (Individually tailored stepped care for women with eating disorders; MRTN-CT-2006-035988).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, School of Health Professions, University of Applied Sciences Western Switzerland (HES-SO), Geneva, Switzerland

    Isabelle Carrard

  2. Cognitive Psychopathology and Neuropsychology Unit, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland

    Marie My Lien Rebetez, Olivia Mobbs & Martial Van der Linden

  3. Filière Nutrition et diététique, Haute Ecole de Santé de Genève, Rue des Caroubiers 25, 1227, Carouge, Switzerland

    Isabelle Carrard

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  1. Isabelle Carrard
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Correspondence to Isabelle Carrard.

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Carrard, I., Lien Rebetez, M.M., Mobbs, O. et al. Factor structure of a French version of the eating disorder examination-questionnaire among women with and without binge eating disorder symptoms. Eat Weight Disord 20, 137–144 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40519-014-0148-x

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