The Pediatric Eating Assessment Tool: Factor Structure and Psychometric Properties
Suzanne M Thoyre1, Britt F Pados2, Jinhee Park2
1School of Nursing, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC.
Insights
The Pediatric Eating Assessment Tool (PediEAT) demonstrates strong psychometric properties for assessing feeding problems in children. This validated instrument supports its use in research and clinical settings for children aged 6 months to 7 years.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Psychology
- Child Health Assessment
- Clinical Measurement Tools
Background:
- Feeding problems are prevalent in children, impacting development and family well-being.
- The Pediatric Eating Assessment Tool (PediEAT) is a parent-report measure for children aged 6 months to 7 years.
- Evaluating the psychometric properties of the PediEAT is crucial for its reliable application.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the factor structure of the Pediatric Eating Assessment Tool (PediEAT).
- To assess the psychometric properties of the PediEAT, including reliability and validity.
- To confirm the PediEAT's suitability for research and clinical use in evaluating pediatric feeding issues.
Main Methods:
- Exploratory factor analysis was employed to identify the PediEAT's underlying structure using data from 567 parents.
- Construct validity was examined by correlating PediEAT scores with the Mealtime Behavior Questionnaire.
- Internal consistency, temporal stability (test-retest reliability), and known-groups validity were assessed.
Main Results:
- A 4-factor model (Physiologic Symptoms, Problematic Mealtime Behaviors, Selective/Restrictive Eating, Oral Processing) was identified, explaining 39.4% of the variance.
- The PediEAT demonstrated excellent internal consistency (alphas ranging from 0.83 to 0.92) and strong test-retest reliability (r=0.95).
- Significant correlations with the Mealtime Behavior Questionnaire and differences between children with and without feeding problems supported construct validity.
Conclusions:
- The Pediatric Eating Assessment Tool (PediEAT) exhibits robust psychometric properties.
- The validated PediEAT is suitable for use in both research and clinical practice for assessing pediatric feeding problems.
- This study supports the PediEAT as a reliable tool for evaluating feeding difficulties in young children.
Objectives:
The Pediatric Eating Assessment Tool (PediEAT) is a parent-report instrument developed to assess symptoms of feeding problems in children aged 6 months to 7 years. The purpose of this study was to identify the factor structure of the PediEAT and test its psychometric properties, including internal consistency reliability, temporal stability, and construct validity.
Methods:
Participants included 567 parents of children aged 6 months to 7 years. Fifty-four percent of the sample had parent report of a diagnosed feeding problem or feeding concerns. Exploratory factor-analysis techniques were used to remove redundant or non-endorsed items and identify the factor structure of the instrument. Construct validity was examined with 466 parents completing the Mealtime Behavior Questionnaire as a criterion standard. Known-groups validation was used to compare PediEAT scores between children with and without diagnosed feeding problems. Temporal stability of the PediEAT was examined with 97 parents repeating the PediEAT after 2 weeks.
Results:
Principal components factor analysis with varimax rotation supported a 4-factor model accounting for 39.4% of the total variance. The 4 subscales (Physiologic Symptoms, Problematic Mealtime Behaviors, Selective/Restrictive Eating, Oral Processing) demonstrated acceptable internal consistencies (coefficient alphas: 0.92, 0.91, 0.83, 0.83; respectively). Construct validity was supported in 2 ways. The PediEAT correlated with the Mealtime Behavior Questionnaire (r = 0.77, P < 0.001) and total score and subscale scores were significantly different between children with and without diagnosed feeding problem (P < 0.001). Temporal stability was demonstrated through test-retest reliability (r = 0.95, P < 0.001).
Conclusions:
Strong psychometric properties support the use of the PediEAT in research and clinical practice.
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