Evaluating binge eating disorder in children: development of the children's binge eating disorder scale (C-BEDS)

Area of Science:

• Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
• Eating Disorders
• Psychometric Assessment

Background:

• Binge eating disorder (BED) presents differently in children versus adults.
• Provisional criteria for diagnosing BED in children have recently been proposed.
• Early identification of BED in children is crucial to prevent long-term health consequences.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a brief, structured, interviewer-administered scale (C-BEDS) for measuring BED in children.
• To align the scale with provisional diagnostic criteria for pediatric BED.
• To compare the diagnostic accuracy of C-BEDS with the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM (SCID).

Main Methods:

• A total of 55 children aged 5-13 years participated in the study.
• Each child was assessed using both the C-BEDS and the SCID.
• Interviewer-administered assessments were conducted for both instruments.

Main Results:

• A significant association was found between the C-BEDS and SCID diagnoses (p = .001).
• Both assessment tools demonstrated adequate ability to identify children exhibiting binge eating behaviors.
• The C-BEDS showed promise in identifying children with subsyndromal BED.

Conclusions:

• The provisional criteria and the C-BEDS appear developmentally appropriate for assessing BED in children.
• The C-BEDS may serve as a valuable screening instrument due to its brevity and efficiency.
• Widespread use by healthcare providers could facilitate early detection of pediatric BED and mitigate associated risks like obesity and comorbidities.