One of the more frequently used measures of eating disorders is the 40-item Eating Attitudes Test (EAT) developed by Garner and Garfinkel (1979). Although originally designed to diagnose anorexia nervosa, the test has recently been applied to nonclinical populations also. In this study, we examined psychometric and validity data for a short version of the scale, the EAT-26. Using a sample of 809 female soldiers in their late teens, results showed that the EAT-26 is reliable, the factor structure is different from that obtained in clinical groups, and the EAT-26 is significantly correlated with body image, weight, and diet.
Due to reasons of economy of time and ease of data collection, researchers increasingly use self-report weight as a substitute for measured or actual weight. Little research has been done on the inclusion of attitudinal scales and other self-report data in improving prediction of actual weight. The present study examined self-report data as well as actual weight for a sample of 946 young women inductees to the Israel Defense Forces. The results showed that self-reported weight is the best predictor of actual weight, but indicators such as the Eating Attitudes Scale (EAT), body image, and ideal weight are significant predictors also. In addition, the correlation between actual weight and difference weight (reported weight-actual weight) was negative (-.37) indicating that the heavier people tend to underreport their weight.
Recently, investigators have identified several levels of severity among people suffering from eating disorders. One of the more commonly used scales for screening people with eating disorders is the 26-item version of the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26). Although decisions such as assigning individuals to treatment and control groups are often determined by the score on the EAT-26, researchers have not examined the sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value of the scale. In the present study, 231 female soldiers from a sample of 1,112 were interviewed and studied so as to determine the accuracy of decisions based on the EAT-26. Findings showed that the scale does poorly in identifying the most severe cases of eating disorders, but is better in identifying the milder case. The implications of the findings are discussed.
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