Turkish Validity and Reliability Study of Prenatal Eating Behaviors Screening Tool

Pregnancy is a very vulnerable period for eating disorders. This study aims to determine the validity and reliability of the "Prenatal Eating Behaviors Screening" (PEBS) tool for the Turkish population.

The sample of this methodological study consisted of 190 pregnant women. Language, content, construct, and reliability analysis were conducted to determine the tool's Turkish psychometric characteristics. The study was conducted at a state hospital in a province located in eastern Türkiye between October 2022 and April 2023. Descriptive Information Form and the Prenatal Eating Behaviours Screening Tool were used to collect the data.

The scale consisted of 11 items with 1 factor and explained 57.4% of the total variance. The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) value was determined to be 0.897, while the Bartlett's test (χ2 = 1377,700 p < .001) was found to be statistically highly significant. The Cronbach's alpha reliability of the scale was found to be 0.92. The Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) fit indıces were found to be χ2/df: 1.1990, Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA): 0.076, Goodness-of-Fit Index (GFI): 0.92, Adjusted Goodness-of- Fit Index (AGFI): 0.86, Comparative Fit Index (CFI): 0.97, Normed Fit Index (NFI): 0.95. The higher the scores received from the tool, the more likely they are to suffer from an existing eating disorder.

The Turkish version of the PEBS tool was determined to be a measuring instrument with high reliability. It is recommended that the Turkish version of the PEBS tool be used in studies and clinics to screen for eating disorders during pregnancy. Cite this article as: Işık, M., & Özkan Şat, S. (2025). Turkish validity and reliability study of prenatal eating behaviors screening tool. Florence Nightingale Journal of Nursing, 33, 0193, doi:10.5152/FNJN.2025.23193.