Assessment of eating disorders with the diabetes eating problems survey – revised (DEPS-R) in a representative sample of insulin-treated diabetic patients: a validation study in Italy

Abstract

BackgroundThe purpose of the study was to evaluate in a sample of insulin-treated diabetic patients, with type 1 or type 2 diabetes, the psychometric characteristics of the Italian version of the DEPS-R scale, a diabetes-specific self-report questionnaire used to analyze disordered eating behaviors.MethodsThe study was performed on 211 consecutive insulin-treated diabetic patients attending two specialist centers. Lifetime prevalence of eating disorders (EDs) according to DSM-IV and DSM-5 criteria were assessed by means of the Module H of the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM IV Axis I Disorder and the Module H modified, according to DSM-5 criteria. The following questionnaires were administered: DEPS-R and the Eating Disorder Inventory – 3 (EDI-3). Test/retest reproducibility was assessed on a subgroup of 70 patients. The factorial structure, internal consistency, test-retest reliability and concurrent validity of DEPS-R were assessed.ResultsOverall, 21.8% of the sample met criteria for at least one DSM-5 diagnosis of ED. A “clinical risk” of ED was observed in 13.3% of the sample. Females displayed higher scores at DEPS-R, a higher percentage of at least one diagnosis of ED and a higher clinical risk for ED. A high level of reproducibility and homogeneity of the scale were revealed. A significant correlation was detected between DEPS-R and the 3 ED risk scales of EDI-3.ConclusionsThe data confirmed the overall reliability and validity of the scale. In view of the significance and implications of EDs in diabetic patients, it should be conducted a more extensive investigation of the phenomenon by means of evaluation instruments of demonstrated validity and reliability.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12888-017-1434-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Assessing the clinical utility of the diabetes eating problem survey‐revised (DEPS‐R) in adolescents with type 1 diabetes

“…Only one other study by Pinna et al have attempted to delineate how well the DEPS‐R correlates with a formal DE diagnosis. They found that subjects who met DSM‐V criteria for any DE had a median DEPS‐R score of 22 . In our study, all participants who screened positive were offered a referral to the DE service for a comprehensive assessment.…”

“…DEPS scores of 8 [4-11.7], 16 [9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22] and 28 [17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36], respectively, as shown in Figure 2.…”

Disordered eating behaviors in adolescents with type 1 diabetes: A cross‐sectional population‐based study in Italy

“…By validating the DEPS‐R questionnaire in the Italian language in adolescents with type 1 diabetes, this study provides a useful clinical practice tool for screening DEB. Recently, an Italian version of DEPS‐R was validated in a population with median age of 38 years of insulin‐treated patients with type 1 or type 2 diabetes (Pinna et al, ). The Italian version of DEPS‐R showed a high level of internal consistency and validity, consistent with the original version (Markowitz et al, ).…”

“…Estimates of the prevalence of DEB and eating disorders (EDs) among adolescents with type 1 diabetes showed high variability, ranging from 10% to 49%. This high variability may be related to the fact that some studies focused on females only (Colton, Olmsted, Daneman, Rydall, & Rodin, ; Hanlan, Griffith, Patel, & Jaser, ; Nielsen, ; Peveler et al, ) and others on both genders (Pinna et al, ; Wisting, Froisland, Skrivarhaug, Dahl‐Jorgensen, & Ro, ; Saßmann et al, ). In a recent 14‐year prospective study (Colton et al, ), the probability of developing DEB and ED over the course of the study in adolescents with type 1 diabetes was found to be 79% and 60%, respectively.…”

The impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on disordered eating behaviors in youths with type 1 diabetes: Analysis of cross-sectional survey data.

“…This contradicts the general assumption that "social distancing" and isolation-creating anxiety, sadness, anger, and perception/sense of loneliness-may have a negative psychological impact [1] and even exacerbate eating disorder risks [44], further compromising individuals with psychopathological and eating problems [27,28,45,46]. Furthermore, recent evidence from Italian samples [47][48][49][50][51] describe youths with T1D as suffering from DEBs more frequently than healthy peers. In contrast, children and adolescents with T1D evaluated in this study did not show higher DEBs than controls.…”