Validity and Reliability of the Turkish Version of the Mindful Eating Behavior Scale

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the validity and reliability of the Mindful Eating Behavior Scale (MEBS) by Winkens et al. in Turkish adults. Methods: This cross-sectional validation study was conducted in three stages with 397 participants aged 18-65 years from Istanbul, Türkiye. Stage 1 involved linguistic validation (n = 50), Stage 2 included a psychometric evaluation (n = 397), and Stage 3 a test-retest reliability assessment (n = 50). Internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach's alpha, and factor structure was examined through exploratory factor analysis (EFA), followed by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Results: The Turkish MEBS demonstrated excellent internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.855) and good temporal stability (test-retest r = 0.821). EFA confirmed a four-factor structure explaining 64.01% of the total variance, consistent with the original validation. Factor loadings ranged from 0.50 to 0.85. CFA confirmed acceptable model fit (χ²/df = 3.147, CFI = 0.918, GFI = 0.910, RMSEA = 0.074). The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin coefficient was 0.85, and Bartlett's test was significant (χ² = 2960.80, p < 0.05). Conclusions: The Turkish version of the MEBS demonstrates preliminary validity and reliability for assessing mindful eating behaviors in Turkish adults. This validation provides the first culturally adapted mindful eating assessment tool for Turkish clinical practice and research settings.