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Cited by 35Eating Disorders and BehaviorsNutrition, Health and Food BehaviorAnxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes

Eating disorder examination questionnaire (EDE-Q): validity and norms for Saudi nationals

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Melisse, Bernou, van Furth, Eric F., de Beurs, Edwin·2022·Eating and Weight Disorders - Studies on Anorexia, Bulimia and Obesity
DOI 10.1007/s40519-021-01150-3
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Abstract

Purpose The aim of this study was to develop an Arabic version of the EDE-Q and to assess its psychometric properties and utility as a screener in the Saudi population. An additional aim was to establish EDE-Q norms for Saudis. Method EDE-Q data were collected in a convenience sample of the Saudi community (N = 2690), of which a subset was also subjected to the EDE interview (N = 98). Various models for the factor structure were evaluated on their fit by CFA. With ROC analysis, the AUC was calculated to test how well the EDE-Q discriminated between Saudis at high and low risk for eating disorders. Results The original four factor model of the EDE-Q was not supported. Best fit was found for a three factor model, including the weight/shape concern scale, dietary restraint scale and eating concern scale. The ROC analysis showed that the EDE-Q could accurately discriminate between individuals at high and low risk for an eating disorder according to the EDE interview. Optimal cut off of 2.93 on the global score yielded a sensitivity of 82% and specificity of 80%. EDE-Q scores were fairly associated with BMI. Discussion Psychometric characteristics of the Saudi version of the EDE-Q were satisfactory and results support the discriminant and convergent validity. Severity level of eating disorder pathology can be determined by the EDE-Q global score. Global scores were high compared to what is found in Western community samples, leading to high prevalence estimates for Saudis at high risk for eating disorders. Level of evidence Not applicable, empirical psychometric study.

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  • Concordance on the number of binge-eating episodes between self-report and interview data is moderate at best.

    “Several studies have shown that concordance on the number of binge-eating episodes between self-report and interview data are moderate at best (Berg et al., 2012; Melisse et al., 2021).”

    From Effectiveness of web-based guided self-help cognitive behavioral therapy-enhanced for binge-eating disorder: An implementation study (2024) · cites this paper as Melisse et al., 2021

    The Statistical analysis section says the study compared binge-eating frequencies between the EDE interview and EDE-Q self-report. The Discussion reports inconsistent symptom presentation between the instruments, and the Results say their estimates of specific eating-disorder behaviors differed. Neither passage establishes that concordance specifically on the number of binge-eating episodes was moderate at best; the Discussion’s 'moderate at best' statement concerns classification concordance in a clinical sample, not episode counts. Page numbers were not available in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.76)

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Cited by

Sorted by citations

Authors
Melisse, B., van Furth, E. F., & de Beurs, E.
Affiliations
GGZ Rivierduinen (NL)
Corresponding author
Melisse, Bernou
ORCID
Venue
Eating and Weight Disorders - Studies on Anorexia, Bulimia and Obesity
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2021-03-09
Volume
27
Issue
1
Pages
139-150
ISSN
  • 1124-4909 (ISSN-L)
  • 1590-1262
DOI
10.1007/s40519-021-01150-3
OpenAlex
W3133728624
Cited by
35
References
7
Citations by year
2026: 6 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 7 · 2020: 1
FWCI
3.58
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Eating and Weight Disorders - Studies on Anorexia Bulimia and Obesity (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Leiden Repository (Leiden University) (submittedVersion)
  • Leiden Repository (Leiden University) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Eating Disorders and Behaviors
  • Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Nutrition, Health and Food Behavior
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
Keywords
Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire, Arabic version, eating disorders, psychometric validation, factor structure, screening, discriminant validity, convergent validity, Saudi population, eating disorder prevalence, body mass index, dietary restraint, weight and shape concerns, eating concerns
MeSH terms
Feeding and Eating Disorders, Humans, Psychometrics, Surveys and Questionnaires, Saudi Arabia, Reproducibility of Results

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