A new measure of psychological inflexibility related to eating behavior in adolescence: Confirmatory factor analysis and validity assessment

Abstract

Introduction

On the onset of adolescence there is an increased vulnerability for mental health problems, namely disordered eating symptomatology. Disordered eating symptomatology has been described as a problem of psychological inflexibility. Psychological inflexibility related to eating behaviors, i.e., the adoption of inflexible idiosyncratic dietary rules without considering external and internal contingencies, is associated with disordered eating symptoms in adult populations. Nonetheless, the study of psychological inflexibility related to eating behaviors in adolescence is scarce.

Aims

The current study aimed at examining the factor structure and psychometric properties of the Inflexible Eating Questionnaire for Adolescents (IEQ-A).

Methods

Participated in this study, 728 adolescents (513 girls and 215 boys), aged 14 to 18 years, who completed self-report measures of psychological inflexibility related to eating behaviors, body image, disordered eating symptoms and general psychopathology symptoms.

Results

Results of the confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the IEQ-A replicated the 11-item one-dimensional structure previously identified in adult samples. A multigroup analysis also demonstrated the scale's structure invariance between genders. The scale presented high internal reliability for both boys and girls (95). Correlation analyses confirmed the scale's convergence with psychological inflexibility with body image. IEQ-A was also positively associated with disordered eating symptoms and depression, anxiety and stress symptoms.

Conclusions

Findings corroborated the adequacy of the IEQ-A factor structure and supported that this is a valid measure to assess psychological inflexibility related to eating behavior in adolescence. This measure is therefore of potential utility for clinicians and researchers focusing on eating-related difficulties in this vulnerable developmental stage.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.