Little by Little, Often Eating: Turkish Adaptation, Validity and Reliability Study of the Grazing Questionnaire

Abstract

Research indicates a close association between grazing, classified as disordered eating, and both obesity and eating disorders. This study aims to adapt the Grazing Questionnaire into Turkish. The research encompassed exploratory (N= 181) and confirmatory (N= 180) factor analyses with a sample of 361 community-based participants aged 18 to 30. Principal component analysis revealed a two-factor structure (uncontrollability, grazing behaviors) explaining 63.40% of the total variance, with eigenvalues surpassing 1. The Cronbach’s alpha coefficient stood at .86. In assessing construct validity, the Grazing Questionnaire exhibited meaningful correlations with the Binge Eating Scale (r= .60, p< .01), body mass index (r= .23, p< .01), and subscales of the Leahy Emotional Schema Scale. Discriminant validity, evaluated through independent samples t-test analysis, showcased significant distinctions between groups with an eating disorder diagnosis or psychological support and those without such diagnoses or support in terms of grazing behaviors. These findings affirm that the Turkish version of the Grazing Questionnaire serves as a valid and reliable tool for evaluating individuals’ grazing behaviors and the feeling of loss of control during eating within a community-based sample. Moreover, the scale's structure aligns closely with its original form. Psychologists and psychiatrists can employ the the Grazing Questionnaire as an effective measurement tool to assess and identify distinctive features associated with eating behaviors.

Keywords

• grazing
• binge eating
• disordered eating
• eating disorders