Acute hunger modifies responses on the Three Factor Eating Questionnaire hunger and disinhibition, but not restraint, scales

Abstract

1It is widely assumed that responses on the Three Factor Eating Questionnaire 2 (TFEQ) represent long-term (trait) attitudes to eating behaviour. However, the 3 questionnaire requires agreement with a number of food related statements, and 4 it is possible that some are easier to agree with when assessed hungry than 5 sated. To test this potential state-dependency, participants completed a 100 mm 6 visual analogue scale rating of their current hunger at the time they completed 7 the TFEQ. Data were collected from two cohorts: Cohort 1 (507 women and 119 8 men) completed both measures on paper, while the hunger rating was 9 computerised in Cohort 2 (179 women). Regression analysis revealed significant 10 effects of rated hunger on scores on the hunger (TFEQ-H) and disinhibition 11 (TFEQ-D) but not restraint (TFEQ-R) subscales, with higher TFEQ-H and TFEQ-D 12scores when participants were more hungry. In addition, 61 women and two 13 men from Cohort 1 completed the measures on two separate occasions. Here, 14 scores on TFEQ-H were higher on days when these participants were hungrier, 15 but no differences in TFEQ-D or TFEQ-R were found. Overall these data suggest 16 TFEQ-H could be interpreted as an indirect measure of current hunger, that 17 scores on TFEQ-D are partly moderated by hunger but TFEQ-R is a more trait-18 like measure of restraint. 19 20

Twenty Years of the Food Cravings Questionnaires: a Comprehensive Review

“…This interpretation would also be in line with findings from other measures that include hunger-related items such as the hunger subscale of the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire. Here, it has been found that-although the questions do not refer to the present moment-scores on the hunger subscale were influenced by participants' current hunger level [101]. Taken together, these findings suggest that it may be hard for participants to evaluate feelings of hunger in general (and their impact on eating) and to differentiate them from current hunger.…”

Deficits in episodic memory are related to uncontrolled eating in a sample of healthy adults.

“…The Bond et al scores identified three disinhibitory subtypes (situational/habitual/emotional susceptibility to disinhibition) and three restrictive subtypes (strategic dieting behavior, avoidance of fattening foods, attitude to self-regulation). We omitted the hunger constructs from our analysis on the basis that they overlapped with the disinhibition construct (Cappelleri et al, 2009) and are more likely to measure state-based changes in appetite rather than a stable trait (Yeomans & McCrickerd, 2017). Thus, we included 6 factors from the Bond scales: Strategic dieting behavior refers to actions used to control one’s weight (e.g., ‘deliberately take small helpings’, ‘consciously holding back at meals’); Attitude to self-regulation (of eating) refers to one’s general perspective on eating and weight control (e.g.…”

Test of the modified dual pathway model of eating disorders in individuals with type 1 diabetes

“…Higher mean scores indicate greater dietary restraint. This subscale is supported for use with a range of weight status groups (Bohrer, Forbush, & Hunt, 2015), is suggested to reflect trait-like restrictive behaviors (Yeomans & McCrickerd, 2017), and has demonstrated acceptable internal consistency with adults (Cappelleri et al, 2009) and adolescents (Maayan, Hoogendoorn, Sweat, & Convit, 2011). This was replicated in the current sample: adolescents (α = 0.90), young adults (α = 0.86), and adults (α = 0.86).…”