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Development of the Children's Eating Behaviour Questionnaire
J Wardle1, C A Guthrie, S Sanderson
1Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, UK. j.wardle@ucl.ac.uk
Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, and Allied Disciplines
|November 6, 2001
Summary
This study developed the Children's Eating Behaviour Questionnaire (CEBQ), a parent-rated tool to measure eight eating style dimensions in children. The CEBQ offers a reliable method for researching eating behaviors linked to obesity and eating disorders.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Psychology
- Behavioral Science
- Nutritional Science
Background:
- Individual eating style differences are linked to weight issues in children and adults.
- Existing scales lack reliability and validity for assessing diverse eating style dimensions in children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate the Children's Eating Behaviour Questionnaire (CEBQ), a parent-rated instrument.
- To assess eight dimensions of eating style in children: food responsiveness, enjoyment of food, satiety responsiveness, slowness in eating, fussiness, emotional overeating, emotional undereating, and desire for drinks.
Main Methods:
- Item pool generation based on literature and parent interviews.
- Item reduction through analysis of data from three independent family samples (N=131, 187, 218).
- Validation of the 35-item, eight-scale CEBQ for internal validity and test-retest reliability.
Main Results:
- The 35-item CEBQ demonstrated internal validity and good test-retest reliability.
- Minimal gender differences were observed in eating style dimensions.
- Satiety responsiveness and slowness in eating decreased with age (3-8 years), while enjoyment of food and food responsiveness increased.
Conclusions:
- The CEBQ is a valid and reliable measure for assessing children's eating styles.
- This tool is valuable for research into early obesity and eating disorder precursors.
- The CEBQ aids in investigating the role of inherited eating behaviors in weight gain.
