Developmental considerations in measuring children's disordered eating attitudes and behaviors

Area of Science:

• Child Psychology
• Eating Disorder Research
• Psychometric Validation

Background:

• Disordered eating is a concern in preadolescent girls.
• The Children's version of the Eating Attitudes Test (ChEAT) is used to screen for these behaviors.
• Understanding the ChEAT's effectiveness across different age groups and socioeconomic statuses is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the discriminant ability of the ChEAT clinical cut-off in a low/low-middle socioeconomic status sample.
• To examine the influence of age, z-BMI, body dissatisfaction, body esteem, self-esteem, and depressive symptoms on disordered eating status.
• To develop and validate an abbreviated ChEAT scale for improved sensitivity.

Main Methods:

• A sample of 152 girls aged 8-12 from diverse ethnic backgrounds and lower socioeconomic status participated.
• Statistical analyses assessed the relationship between ChEAT scores and psychological factors.
• Age-related differences in ChEAT sensitivity were investigated, leading to the development of a 6-item abbreviated scale.

Main Results:

• Girls above the ChEAT cut-off reported higher body dissatisfaction and depressive symptoms, and lower body esteem.
• The ChEAT demonstrated significantly higher sensitivity in older girls (10-12 years).
• An abbreviated 6-item ChEAT scale showed improved sensitivity for older girls but remained insensitive for younger girls (8-9 years).

Conclusions:

• The ChEAT's clinical cut-off is more effective for identifying disordered eating risk in older preadolescent girls (10-12 years).
• An abbreviated ChEAT scale offers enhanced sensitivity for older girls but not for younger ones.
• Further refinement of screening tools is needed for younger children (8-9 years) in low socioeconomic status populations.