Development and initial validation of the obsessive compulsive eating scale

Food cravings are common and have been implicated in eating-related pathology, including binge eating, bulimia nervosa, and unhealthy weight problems, but difficulties in defining and quantifying the phenomenon of craving are well documented. There has been an increase in focus on the study of cognitive mechanisms underlying craving, in particular the role of intrusive thoughts; however, existing craving measures fail to fully capture these aspects of the craving experience. The present study was designed to develop a psychometrically sound measure of the obsessive-compulsive aspects of food cravings.

The proposed 14-item Obsessive Compulsive Eating Scale (OCES) is based on the existing and well-validated Obsessive Compulsive Drinking Scale, a self-report measure of obsessive thoughts about drinking and compulsive behaviors directed towards alcohol consumption. The OCES was administered to 224 respondents (57.4%, n = 128 women).

Results of confirmatory factor analyses suggested a two-factorial structure of the OCES, which mirrors that of the Obsessive Compulsive Drinking Scale, on which it is based. The OCES had excellent internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.91) and demonstrated good convergent and criterion validity.

The proposed OCES is a psychometrically sound addition to the body of measurements used to assess food cravings and their role in disordered eating patterns.