Validation and reliability of the Italian EAT-26

The Italian from of the short, 26-item Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26) has been administered to 1277 Roman high-school students, mostly females, as a screening device. Ninety-five students with a total score > 20 and 40 students with a low score, were randomly selected, interviewed and diagnosed. The EAT-26 proved to be more sensitive to the presence of an eating disorder than to a specific clinical entity. Item analysis performed on the EAT-26 variables showed satisfactory reliability coefficients. Factor analysis using an oblique rotation was similar to that obtained by Garner et al. (1). Factor analysis with an orthogonal rotation (Cattell's screen test) identified five factors. Results suggested that the EAT-26 isolates cases at risk of clinical spectrum eating disorders.