The SCOFF questionnaire: Assessment of a new screening tool for eating disorders
Open accessAbstract
Eating disorders are among the most common psychiatric disorders in young women. Early detection and treatment improves prognosis, but presentation is often cryptic—for example, via physical symptoms in primary care. Ability to diagnose the condition varies and can be inadequate,1 and existing questionnaires for detection 2 3 are lengthy and may require specialist interpretation. No simple, memorable screening instruments are available for non-specialists. In alcohol misuse the CAGE questionnaire4 has proved popular with clinicians because of its simplicity. We developed and tested a similar tool for eating disorders— with questions designed to raise suspicion that an eating disorder might exist—before rigorous clinical assessment. We developed five questions addressing core features of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa using focus groups of patients with eating disorders and specialists in eating disorders; we tested the questions in a feasibility study of patients and staff at an eating disorders unit None …
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The YSR, SCOFF, and KIDSCREEN are validated and often used instruments.
“we obtained data from three validated and often used instruments to assess psychopathological symptoms and quality of life.”
From Psychopathological symptoms and well-being in overweight and underweight adolescents: A network analysis (2021) · cites this paper as [39]
The Participants, methods, and results section describes the development and testing of SCOFF, and the Comment section says there is sufficient evidence of validity for routine use in patients considered at risk of eating disorders. The paper presents SCOFF as a new screening tool, so it does not establish that it was often used; it also does not assess YSR or KIDSCREEN. (LLM, conf=0.85)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredAccording to the authors of the original SCOFF version, a score ≥ 2 represents an increased risk for eating disorders.
“According to the authors of the original SCOFF version [39], a score ≥ 2 represents an increased risk for eating disorders.”
From Psychopathological symptoms and well-being in overweight and underweight adolescents: A network analysis (2021) · cites this paper as [39]
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- Authors
- Morgan, J. F., Reid, F., & Lacey, J. H.
- Affiliations
- St George's Hospital (GB)
- St George's, University of London (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Morgan, J. F
- ORCID
- Venue
- BMJ
- Publisher
- BMJ
- Published
- 1999-12-04
- Volume
- 319
- Issue
- 7223
- Pages
- 1467-1468
- ISSN
- 0007-1447 (ISSN-L)
- 0959-8138
- 1468-5833
- PMC
- PMC28290
- OpenAlex
- W1978750038
- Cited by
- 1,416
- References
- 6
- Citations by year
- 2026: 107 · 2025: 121 · 2024: 116 · 2023: 119 · 2022: 110 · 2021: 102 · 2020: 91 · 2019: 71 · 2018: 66 · 2017: 51 · 2016: 50 · 2015: 62 · 2014: 54 · 2013: 52 · 2012: 34
- FWCI
- 5.90
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- BMJ (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Eating Disorders and Behaviors
- Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Nutrition, Health and Food Behavior
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Child Nutrition and Feeding Issues
- Keywords
- SCOFF questionnaire, eating disorders, screening tool, anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, early detection, questionnaire development, focus groups, primary care
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Anorexia Nervosa, Feeding and Eating Disorders, Bulimia, Female, Humans, Mass Screening, Surveys and Questionnaires
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