Psychometric properties and factor structure of the Eating Disorder Examination-Questionnaire in omnivores, vegetarians, and vegans

The psychometric properties of the Eating Disorder Examination-Questionnaire (EDE-Q) have been widely reported, but there remains considerable uncertainty regarding the factor structure of the tool, with ve-getarians and vegans remaining no exception. Due to the utility of the EDE-Q as a screening and outcome measure, we assessed the theoretical assumptions and psychometric properties of the EDE-Qin vegetarians (n = 278), vegans (n = 580), and omnivores (n = 413) separately, owing to the expectation of different structures within each dietary population given their varying degrees of restraint. We undertook con-firmatory factor analysis of five models previously described demonstrating inadequate fit. Exploratory factor analysis supported unique three-factor models across dietary groups incorporating Weight and Shape Concern subscales, potentially suggesting that community samples of varying of dietary restraint con-sistently interpret weight/shape to be related to general body image concerns. These novel findings also suggest a shorter version of the EDE-Q may be more suitable in community samples to reduce the time burden of the tool. The predominately poor test-retest reliability raises doubt around the overall utility and stability of the EDE-Q in all dietary populations, regardless of whether a shortened version is employed. Future research is needed to validate of other eating disorder tools across dietary populations.(c) 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.