Validation of the German Version of the Power of Food Scale in a General Population Sample

The Power of Food Scale (PFS) is a self-report instrument for assessing appetitive motivation in the absence of caloric needs. The study aim was to validate the German PFS version in a large population sample.

Complete information on all PFS items was available from 2,421 respondents (age ≥14) of a nationally representative sample of the German population. We examined the psychometric properties of the German PFS version and provided population-based normative data.

The 3-factor structure of the original scale was replicated in confirmatory factor analysis. The German PFS version demonstrated good internal consistency (α = 0.92 for the total scale). It was well accepted by the respondents, as indicated by a low proportion of missing item values (≤0.56%). While no significant differences were observed in the PFS mean scores between men and women, the scores increased across BMI categories. PFS was positively correlated with a measure of global eating disorder psychopathology (Eating Disorder Examination-Questionnaire 8) and the ultra-brief Patient Health Questionnaire for depression and anxiety.

Our findings suggest that the German PFS version has adequate psychometric properties and good reliability for measuring hedonic hunger in the general population. The provided population-based norms can be used for individual assessment.