Beliefs about Binge Eating: Psychometric Properties of the Eating Beliefs Questionnaire (EBQ-18) in Eating Disorder, Obese, and Community Samples

Amy  L. Burton; Deborah Mitchison; Phillipa Hay; Brooke Donnelly; Christopher Thornton; Janice Russell; Jessica Swinbourne; Christopher Basten; Mandy Goldstein; Stephen Touyz; Maree  J. Abbott

doi:10.3390/nu10091306

Nutrients (Sep 2018)

Beliefs about Binge Eating: Psychometric Properties of the Eating Beliefs Questionnaire (EBQ-18) in Eating Disorder, Obese, and Community Samples

Amy L. Burton,
Deborah Mitchison,
Phillipa Hay,
Brooke Donnelly,
Christopher Thornton,
Janice Russell,
Jessica Swinbourne,
Christopher Basten,
Mandy Goldstein,
Stephen Touyz,
Maree J. Abbott

Affiliations

Amy L. Burton: School of Psychology, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
Deborah Mitchison: Centre for Emotional Health, Department of Psychology, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW 2109, Australia
Phillipa Hay: School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Campbelltown, NSW 2560, Australia
Brooke Donnelly: School of Psychology, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
Christopher Thornton: The Redleaf Practice, Wahroonga, NSW 2076, Australia
Janice Russell: School of Psychology, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
Jessica Swinbourne: School of Psychology, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
Christopher Basten: Centre for Emotional Health, Department of Psychology, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW 2109, Australia
Mandy Goldstein: Mandy Goldstein Psychology, Bondi Junction, NSW 2022, Australia
Stephen Touyz: School of Psychology, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
Maree J. Abbott: School of Psychology, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/nu10091306
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 10, no. 9
p. 1306

Abstract

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Binge eating is a core diagnostic feature of bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, anorexia nervosa binge/purge type, and is a common feature of “other specified” and “unspecified” feeding and eating disorders. It has been suggested that specific metacognitive beliefs about food, eating, and binge eating may play a key role in the maintenance of binge eating behaviour. The Eating Beliefs Questionnaire (EBQ-18) provides a brief self-report assessment tool measuring three types of metacognitive beliefs: negative, positive, and permissive beliefs about food and eating. This study aimed to build on past research by validating the factor structure and psychometric properties of the EBQ-18 using both a clinical and non-clinical sample. A sample of 688 participants (n = 498 non-clinical participants, n = 161 participants seeking treatment for an eating disorder, and n = 29 participants seeking treatment for obesity) completed a battery of questionnaires, including the EBQ-18 and other measures of eating disorder symptoms and relevant constructs. A subset of 100 non-clinical participants completed the test battery again after an interval of two-weeks, and 38 clinical participants completed the EBQ-18 before and after receiving psychological treatment for their eating disorder. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted and psychometric properties of this measure were assessed. The results of this study provide support for the three-factor model of the EBQ-18. In addition, the EBQ-18 was found to be a valid and reliable measure, with excellent internal consistency, good test-retest reliability in the non-clinical sample, and also demonstrated evidence of sensitivity to treatment in clinical samples with binge eating pathology. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses were used to identify optimal cut-off scores for the EBQ-18. This study provides valuable information about the utility of the EBQ-18 as a measure for use in both clinical and research settings.

Published in Nutrients

ISSN: 2072-6643 (Online)
Publisher: MDPI AG
Country of publisher: Switzerland
LCC subjects: Technology: Home economics: Nutrition. Foods and food supply
Website: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/nutrients

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