Preliminary testing using Mokken scaling of an Italian translation of the Edinburgh Feeding Evaluation in Dementia (EdFED-I) scale

Abstract

The EdFED-I shows reasonable psychometric properties and can be used for the assessment of feeding difficulty in Italian samples of older people with dementia. However, further work with larger samples is required to test the utility of the whole range of items and the necessity of their inclusion in the EdFED-I.

The Edinburgh Feeding Evaluation in Dementia Scale: A Longitudinal Study in Nursing Home Residents

“…While the item about turning the head away (Item 6) scaled well, it did not show IIO; unlike the 4 remaining items, which scored invariantly across the whole study. This invariance in score ordering reflects previous studies [10,11] - while differing slightly from the previous EdFED-I scale study [11] - and shows that leaving food in the mouth and allowing it to fall out (Item 9) is the most difficult item in the EdFED-I scale, in accordance with the original EdFED scale [11], suggesting that this indicates a very serious level of difficulty with feeding. The utility of these observations will be discussed below.…”

“…This suggests that, similar to other versions of the EdFED scale, the EdFED-I scale contains 2 sets of items identifiable by Mokken scaling: those concerned with the indicators and feeding difficulty and nursing interventions and those concerned with the feeding-related behaviors in dementia. As in a previous study [11], the items related to nursing interventions score highest and show a ceiling effect. However, unlike the previous study - where the indicators of feeding difficulty also scored high and higher than all behavioral items - in the present study, the item related to spillage (Item 3) shows a floor effect, and the item related to leaving food on the plate (Item 4) scores in the middle region.…”

“…The EdFED has low-to-moderate but statistically significant correlations with common indicators of nutritional status: body mass index; body weight; time taken to eat; the Barthel ADL scale, and Mini-Mental State Examination [10,11]. Therefore, the EdFED scale is a valid measure of feeding difficulty in dementia.…”

“…An outcome measure used in the study was the EdFED-I scale [11]. The aim of the present study was to study the properties of the EdFED-I scale over time and across a range of the latent trait using item response theory (IRT) methods, including Mokken scaling.…”

A Dedicated Nutritional Care Program (NUTRICARE) to reduce malnutrition in institutionalised dysphagic older people: A quasi‐experimental study

“…Moreover, dysphagia also increases workload and can be distressing both for the patient's family members and for the nurses who care for them, and ultimately increase the levels of burnout in nursing home staff (Bagnasco et al., ). Therefore, assessing the nutritional status with an integrated approach and appropriate tools is fundamental to effectively prevent malnutrition (Liu et al., ).…”