Evaluating Emotional Eating in Children from the Perspective of Parents: Psychometric Properties of the Parent Version of the Emotional Eating Scale Adapted for Children and Adolescents

Abstract

Background: Emotional eating is associated with adverse health outcomes in children, including elevated weight status. Currently, there is not a well-validated parent-report measure of emotional eating for young children. This study assessed the reliability and validity of the 10-item parent version of the Emotional Eating Scale Adapted for Children and Adolescents (EES-C) Short-Form. Methods: The participants were 207 parents and 144 children from the southern United States. They completed the parent- and child-report EES-C Short-Form and responded to measures related to child eating behaviors, mood, and gratitude. Results: The parent-report EES-C Short-Form demonstrated good internal consistency reliability (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.94). Test–retest reliability was also supported, as evidenced by a medium correlation (ICC = 0.56, p < 0.001) between parent-rated emotional eating across two time points. Additionally, the measure demonstrated a significant correlation with a scale of emotional overeating (r = 0.25, p < 0.001)—a theoretically related construct. Supporting discriminant validity, the measure was not significantly related to a measure of parent-reported gratitude (r = 0.07, p = 0.30). A unidimensional model provided good fit for the data (CFI = 0.997, SRMR = 0.046). Conclusions: The results from the current study provide preliminary evidence supporting the reliability and validity of the parent version of the EES-C Short-Form. For the purpose of screening children in school or primary care settings, the EES-C Short-Form may be practical and helpful in identifying children who may be at risk of developing adverse health outcomes or more-severe eating disorder pathology.