Concept and evaluation of food craving: unidimensional scales based on the Trait and the State Food Craving Questionnaire

Abstract

"Craving" is a motivational state that promotes an intense desire related to consummatory behaviors. Despite growing interest in the concept of food craving, there is a lack of available instruments to assess it in Brazilian Portuguese. The objectives were to translate and adapt the Trait and the State Food Craving Questionnaire (FCQ-T and FCQ-S) to Brazilian Portuguese and to evaluate the psychometric properties of these versions.The FCQ-T and FCQ-S were translated and adapted to Brazilian Portuguese and administered to students at the Federal University of São Paulo. Both questionnaires in their original models were examined considering different estimators (frequentist and bayesian). The goodness of fit underlying the items from both scales was assessed through the following fit indices: χ2, WRMR residual, comparative fit index, Tucker-Lewis index and RMSEA. Data from 314 participants were included in the analyses. Poor fit indices were obtained for both of the original questionnaires regardless of the estimator used and original structural model. Thus, three eating disorder experts reviewed the content of the instruments and selected the items which were considered to assess the core aspects of the craving construct. The new and reduced models (questionnaires) generated good fit indices. Our abbreviated versions of FCQ-S and FCQ-T considerably diverge from the conceptual framework of the original questionnaires. Based on the results of this study, we propose a possible alternative, i.e., to assess craving for food as a unidimensional construct.

Twenty Years of the Food Cravings Questionnaires: a Comprehensive Review

“…Moreover, full measurement invariance was found across American and Spanish participants [12]. Using a Portuguese version, one study could replicate the nine factors [16] whereas model fit was poor in another study [22]. Several studies could not replicate the nine-factor structure and instead suggested fewer factors.…”

“…In contrast to the FCQ-T, however, only partial measurement invariance was found across American and Spanish participants. Moreover, model fit of the five-factor model was poor in a study using a Portuguese version of the FCQ-S [22] and two studies suggested fewer than five factors (four factors [23] and three factors [13]). Thus-similar to the FCQ-T-support for factorial validity of the FCQ-S is limited as factor structure could only be replicated partially.…”

“…Predictive validity of the FCQ-S has been supported by studies that examined hedonic responses to food cues and food consumption. For example, higher FCQ-S scores related Participants are instructed to indicate the extent to which they agree with each statement right now, at this very moment a Items included in the abbreviated Food Cravings Questionnaire-State by Maranhão et al [22] to more positive evaluations of high-caloric food in implicit measures such as the Affect Misattribution Procedure [67] and impulsive reactions to pictorial food stimuli [68]. Moreover, higher FCQ-S scores related to higher subsequent food intake in the laboratory [54].…”

“…Recently, Maranhão and colleagues suggested abbreviated forms of a Portuguese version of the FCQs [22]. The short form of the FCQ-T consists of eight items, which stem from the original FCQ-T's subscales thoughts or preoccupation with food (4 items), having intentions and plans to consume food (1 item), emotions that may be experienced before or during food cravings or eating (1 item), cues that may trigger food cravings (1 item), and lack of control over eating (1 item; Table 1).…”

“…The original FCQ-T has 39 items and does not specify certain foods that participants should think of when completing the scale [11]. There are three short versions of this questionnaire that have either 21 items (G-FCQ-T, [69]), 15 items (FCQ-T-r, [58]), or 8 items (abbreviated FCQ-T, [22]). For the original 39-item FCQ-T and for the 15-item FCQ-T-r, there are chocolateadapted versions that include the very same items except that they specifically refer to chocolate [91,93].…”