Validation study of the Food Craving Questionnaire-Trait: Reduced in Greek population

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Behavioral Science
• Clinical Nutrition

Background:

• Food craving (FC) is a significant behavior linked to increased energy intake and disordered eating patterns like bulimia and binge eating.
• Existing FC measurement tools, including the Food Craving Questionnaire-Traitreduced (FCQ-T-r), show variability in the literature.
• Validation of FC assessment tools is crucial for accurate measurement in diverse populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To validate the Food Craving Questionnaire-Traitreduced (FCQ-T-r) within the Greek population.
• To assess the psychometric properties and reliability of the FCQ-T-r for measuring food craving tendencies.
• To explore the correlation between food craving, eating behaviors, and general health.

Main Methods:

• The study involved the administration of the FCQ-T-r, Eating Attitude Test-26 (EAT-26), General Health Questionnaire-28 (GHQ-28), and demographic/anthropometric questionnaires.
• Principal Component Analysis (PCA) with Monte-Carlo Parallel Analysis (PA) was employed for structural validation of the FCQ-T-r.
• Internal consistency (Cronbach's Alpha) and correlations between measures were statistically analyzed.

Main Results:

• The Greek version of the FCQ-T-r demonstrated high internal consistency (Cronbach's Alpha=0.927) and explained 62.5% of the variance.
• PCA revealed a two-factor structure (Thoughts & Emotions, Lack of Control) for the FCQ-T-r, differing from the original one-factor model.
• Significant positive correlations were found between FCQ-T-r scores and EAT-26, EAT-Dieting, EAT-Bulimia, and GHQ, indicating concurrent validity.

Conclusions:

• The validated FCQ-T-r exhibits satisfactory psychometric properties and validity for the Greek population.
• The FCQ-T-r can serve as a valuable instrument for assessing food craving tendencies and their relationship with eating behaviors.
• The identified two-factor structure provides a more nuanced understanding of food craving components.