Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q): Norms and Psychometric Properties in UK females and males

Abstract

The Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q) is a widely used assessment of eating disorder psychopathology; however, EDE-Q norms are yet to be provided within a non-clinical UK adult sample. Secondly, there is considerable disagreement regarding the psychometric properties of this measure. Several alternative factor structures have been previously proposed, but very few have subsequently validated their new structure in independent samples and many are often confined to specific sub-populations. Therefore, in the current study, we provide norms of the original four-factor EDE-Q structure, and subsequently assess the psychometric properties of the EDE-Q in females and males using a large non-clinical UK sample (total N=2459). EDE-Q norms were consistently higher in females compared with males across all samples. Initial Confirmatory Factor Analyses (CFA) did not support the original four-factor structure for females or males (Phase 1). However, subsequent Exploratory Factor Analyses (EFA) revealed a three-factor structure as being the optimal fit for both females and males, using an 18-item and 16-item model, respectively (Phase 2). For females, the newly-proposed 18-item structure was validated within an independent student sample and further validated in an additional non-student sample. The 16-item three-factor male structure was also validated within an independent non-student sample, but was marginally below accepted fit indices within an independent student sample (Phase 3). Taken together, the above findings suggest that the EDE-Q factor structure may require further reassessment, with greater focus on the qualitative differences in interpretation of EDE-Q items between females and males.