The eating disorder examination questionnaire for adults from the Mexican general population: Reliability and validity

Abstract

The Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire is a widely used self-report questionnaire for eating disorders. An Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire model that is not lacking in relevant content has been supported in three different samples, but existing studies on this model present shortcomings regarding generalizations to the general population. Therefore, the general purpose of the current research was to test the reliability and interpretation validity of the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire 6.0 scores in adults of both sexes from the Mexican general population. After translating, adapting, and assessing the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire 6.0 in the target population through three pilot studies, we conducted two independent studies. In Study 1, 684 women and 433 men aged 18–83 participated, whereas in Study 2, 591 women and 382 men aged 18–86 did it. They answered the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire 6.0 and a measure of either body dissatisfaction (Study 1) or self-esteem (Study 2). According to confirmatory factor analyses, the 14-item Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire model that we tested fit acceptably for the four samples (two female, two male) and was invariant across sex. All 14-item Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire 6.0 scores were reliable according to Cronbach’s alpha and McDonald’s omega, except for only one factor score in men. Pearson’s correlations of the 14-item Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire 6.0 scores with body dissatisfaction and self-esteem were positive and negative, respectively. This new Latin American Spanish translation of the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire 6.0 works broadly as expected and provides evidence to extend the generalization of previous studies to the general population. Thus, the present translation of the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire 6.0 may be a valuable tool in the field of eating disorders for researchers and practitioners studying or serving Latin American Spanish speakers of either sex from the general population.