Cited by 4,687Eating Disorders and BehaviorsNutrition, Health and Food BehaviorPsychometric Methodologies and Testing

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The three-factor eating questionnaire to measure dietary restraint, disinhibition and hunger

Stunkard, Albert J., Messick, Samuel·1985·Journal of Psychosomatic Research

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Abstract

This report describes the construction of a questionnaire to measure three dimensions of human eating behavior. The first step was a collation of items from two existing questionnaires that measure the related concepts of 'restrained eating' and 'latent obesity', to which were added items newly written to elucidate these concepts. This version was administered to several populations selected to include persons who exhibited the spectrum from extreme dietary restraint to extreme lack of restraint. The resulting responses were factor analyzed and the resulting factor structure was used to revise the questionnaire. This process was then repeated: administration of the revised questionnaire to groups representing extremes of dietary restraint, factor analysis of the results and questionnaire revision. Three stable factors emerged: (1) 'cognitive restraint of eating', (2) 'disinhibition' and (3) 'hunger'. The new 51-item questionnaire measuring these factors is presented.

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BackgroundInfluential
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“…of Life Questionnaire (PCOSQ) consisted of 26 questions for assessing people’s quality of life in different health-related sub-domains, including emotions (8 questions), hirsutism (5 questions), weight concerns (5 questions), infertility (4 questions), and menstrual disorders (4 questions) [22].”
BackgroundMethod

Authors: Stunkard, A. J., & Messick, S.
Affiliations: Educational Testing Service (US)
Venue: Journal of Psychosomatic Research
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Published: 1985-01
Volume: 29
Issue: 1
Pages: 71-83
ISSN: 0022-3999 (ISSN-L)
DOI: 10.1016/0022-3999(85)90010-8
OpenAlex: W2011790043
Cited by: 4,687
References: 29
Citations by year: 2026: 113 · 2025: 163 · 2024: 137 · 2023: 166 · 2022: 181 · 2021: 197 · 2020: 222 · 2019: 206 · 2018: 176 · 2017: 182 · 2016: 183 · 2015: 224 · 2014: 192 · 2013: 191 · 2012: 194
FWCI: 21.94
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: closed
Licence: www.elsevier.com/tdm/userlicense/1.0/ (tdm)
Locations: Journal of Psychosomatic Research (publishedVersion)
PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders: National Institute of Mental Health (MH-31050)
Topics: Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Eating Disorders and Behaviors
Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Nutrition, Health and Food Behavior
Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › Management Science and Operations Research › Psychometric Methodologies and Testing
Keywords: Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire, dietary restraint, disinhibition, hunger, dietary habits, questionnaire development, factor structure
MeSH terms: Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Diet, Reducing, Feeding Behavior, Female, Humans, Hunger, Inhibition, Psychological, Male, Middle Aged, Obesity, Psychometrics, Surveys and Questionnaires

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The three-factor eating questionnaire to measure dietary restraint, disinhibition and hunger

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