Italian validation of a short version of the Dutch eating behavior questionnaire: Psychometric properties and relationships with self-esteem, eating self-efficacy, and snacking habits in university students

Background: The Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire (DEBQ) is a widely used self-report measure of eating styles, i.e., emotional, restrained, and external. A short and reliable version is useful for screening, routine assessments, and multipurpose surveys. Objective: The short version of the DEBQ by Bailly et al. (2012) was validated in the Italian context in two studies. Concurrent criterion validity was tested by considering gender, body mass index, self-esteem, eating self-efficacy, and snacking habits. Method: Data were collected via online questionnaires administered to two convenience samples of university students (n = 613, n = 856). Results: The three-factor structure of the short version of the DEBQ was supported and was invariant across genders. Correlations among the three eating styles, gender, body mass index, self-esteem, eating self-efficacy, and snacking habits followed the expected pattern. Conclusion: The short form of the DEBQ is psychometrically sound and can be used to investigate eating styles among Italian university students.