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Validating a Short Version of the External Food Cue Responsiveness Scale (EFCR-6) in Preadolescents: Initial Evidence
Zhuoya Zhang1, Dabin Yeum2, Timothy J Renier1
1Dartmouth College.
Insights
A new six-item scale effectively measures children's responsiveness to external food cues, aiding in understanding links between food cue sensitivity and childhood adiposity. This validated tool supports research on appetite and eating behaviors.
Area of Science:
- Childhood obesity research
- Behavioral science
- Pediatric health
Background:
- External food cue responsiveness is linked to increased adiposity in children.
- Validated measurement tools for middle childhood are currently lacking.
- This study addresses this gap by examining the External Food Cue Responsiveness (EFCR) scale.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the factor structure of the EFCR scale in US preadolescents.
- To assess the reliability and validity of a reduced EFCR scale.
- To provide a tool for measuring external food cue responsivity in children.
Main Methods:
- Parents completed the nine-item EFCR scale with 185 US preadolescents.
- Exploratory factor analysis identified a six-item scale (EFCR-6).
- Reliability (test-retest, internal consistency) and validity (convergent, construct) were assessed.
Main Results:
- Exploratory factor analysis supported a six-item, two-factor structure (EFCR-6).
- The EFCR-6 demonstrated good internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.74) and reliability (ICC = 0.72).
- Convergent validity was shown with food approach traits, and construct validity with media use and parenting styles.
Conclusions:
- The six-item EFCR scale is a promising, valid, and reliable measure for assessing external food cue responsivity in preadolescents.
- This scale can aid in research on childhood eating behaviors and adiposity.
- Cross-validation in diverse samples is recommended for further confirmation.
Background:
Responsivity to external food cues is linked to higher adiposity in children, yet validated tools for middle childhood are lacking. This study examined the factor structure of the External Food Cue Responsiveness (EFCR) scale in 185 US preadolescents.
Methods:
Parents completed the original nine-item EFCR scale. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted to evaluate the factor structure. Internal consistency was assessed via Cronbach's α and McDonald's. One-year test-retest reliability was evaluated via intraclass correlation (ICC, N = 96). Convergent validity was examined via Spearman's correlation of the reduced scale with food approach appetitive traits (Child Eating Behavior Questionnaire), lab-observed eating in the absence of hunger (EAH), and BMI-z. Construct validity was assessed via Spearman's correlations with child media use, trait impulsiveness, and parenting style.
Results:
EFA revealed a two-factor structure with six items (EFCR-6) (RMSEA = 0.06, SRMR = 0.05, CFI = 0.98, TLI = 0.96, loading range: 0.43-0.66), representing visual and auditory cue responsiveness. A global EFCR-6 score converged with multiple food approach appetitive traits (r range 0.24-0.41, p < .01) and was associated with child media use, coercive feeding, and parenting style (p < .05). The EFCR-6 scale demonstrated good internal consistency (α = 0.74) and one-year test-retest reliability (ICC = 0.72).
Conclusions:
The six-item EFCR scale shows promise as a valid and reliable measure of external food cue responsivity in preadolescents. Cross-validation in independent samples is recommended.
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