Confirmatory factor analysis and measurement invariance of the eating disorders examination‐questionnaire across four male samples in Argentina

Abstract

Objective: The eating disorder examination-questionnaire (EDE-Q) is among the most widely used instruments in eating disorder research and clinical practice.However, the underlying structure remains a source of confusion, and contradictory results have emerged in studies among male populations. In the current study, we examined previously proposed models of EDE-Q structure in four community samples of Argentinian men.Method: A series of confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs) were performed for five previous factor structure models of the EDE-Q among 232 Argentinian male university students, 277 weightlifters, 275 cross-fit users, and 202 athletes. A multigroup CFA was conducted in the model we retained, to assess measurement invariance across groups.Results: A respecified model of the brief eight-item one-factor proposal provided acceptable fit to the data over the original four-factor structure and three other proposed models. Results from the multigroup CFA showed that the retained model was invariant across samples. Conclusion:Our results provide support for retaining a one-factor EDE-Q structure over a multifactor solution for research purposes among male community samples in Argentina. These data underscore the importance of undertaking psychometric assessment of eating disorder symptom measures before their utilization in specific populations. K E Y W O R D SMeasurement invariance, men, Argentina, CFA, eating disorders examinationquestionnaire, men

Establishing the optimal male cut-off point: confirmatory factor analysis of the eating disorder examination-questionnaire (EDE-Q) in a representative sample of Spanish university students

“…In the present study, the EDE-Q shows good internal consistency, with high Omega coe cient values for both the total scale and the two subscales of the EDE-Q, similar to those obtained in other studies [5,17]. Therefore, the EDE-Q is shown to be a valid and reliable instrument for use as a screening tool in Spanish males.…”

“…In conclusion, there are gender differences in levels of eating pathology that are indicative of clinical concern [45]. However, most research using the EDE-Q, including many in recent years, continues to use cut-off ≥ 4 in males [3,5], leaving signi cant numbers of potentially at-risk participants undetected and therefore untreated. In men, body image and eating pathology is more complex and the EDE-Q is limited in detecting muscle-oriented eating risk behaviours.…”

“…In addition to the cognitive features of ED, the EDE-Q includes items that assess behavioral symptoms as self-induced vomit, binge eating or excessive exercise, and is a brief, cost-e cient self-report instrument for exploring possible occurrence and severity of ED [3]. The EDE-Q has been widely used and has shown to be a valid and reliable instrument in both general population and clinical samples [4,5,6].…”

“…Despite the need for robust instruments to explore this pathology among men and reduce the problem of under-diagnosed of male ED [9], research on the psychometric properties of EDE-Q in men remains low and samples are generally scarce [6]. Recent studies on male samples show different factor structures for the EDE-Q [8], supporting the hypothesis that the original factor model is not sensitive enough for males and more research is needed to clarify the weak and unstable structure [5,14].…”

Eating Disorder Examination‐Questionnaire: Evaluating factor structures and establishing measurement invariance with Asian/Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, Black, and White American college men

“…Notably, the EDE‐Q was initially normed and validated with a primarily White, Western, cisgender female sample (Berg et al, 2012; Fairburn & Beglin, 1994). Since its development, the EDE‐Q has been translated into different languages (e.g., Italian, Spanish, Arabic; Calugi et al, 2017; Elder & Grilo, 2007; Melisse et al, 2021), and tested with samples living in Japan (Otani et al, 2021), Argentina (Compte et al, 2019), and Mexico (Penelo et al, 2013). Recent studies have also evaluated the utility of the EDE‐Q in gender/sexual minority groups, and established norms for cisgender lesbian women (Nagata, Murray, Flentje, et al, 2020), cisgender bisexual women and men (Nagata, Compte, et al, 2020), and transgender women and men (Nagata, Murray, Compte, et al, 2020).…”