Validation of the Arabic version of the Eating Attitude Test in Lebanon: a population study

Abstract

AbstractObjectives:To validate an Arabic version of the Eating Attitude Test (EAT-26) and identify factors (such as depression, stress, anxiety and body dissatisfaction) that might be associated with disordered eating among a sample of the Lebanese population.Design:Cross-sectional study.Setting:All Lebanese governorates.Participants:A total of 811 participants randomly selected participated in this 5-month study (January–May 2018).Results:The EAT-26 scale items converged over a solution of six factors that had an eigenvalue over 1, explaining a total of 60·07 % of the variance (Cronbach’s α = 0·895). The prevalence of disordered eating attitudes was 23·8 %. Higher EAT-26 scores (disordered eating attitudes) were significantly associated with higher depression (β = 0·325), higher emotional eating (β = 0·083), daily weighing (β = 3·430), higher physical activity (β = 0·05), starving to reduce weight (β = 4·94) and feeling pressure from TV/magazine to lose weight (β = 3·95).Conclusions:The Arabic version of EAT-26 can be a useful instrument for screening and assessing disordered eating attitudes in clinical practice and research. Some factors seem to be associated with more disordered eating attitudes among participants for whom psychological counseling may be needed. Yet, our findings are considered preliminary, and further studies are warranted to confirm them.