Internal Validity of the French Version of the PARDI-AR-Q and Subtypes Analysis Among Children and Adolescents

Although avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) has been included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (American Psychiatric Association, 2013) as a distinct eating disorder category, research on ARFID remains scarce in France, primarily due to a lack of a French tool to assess its diagnosis. The objectives of this study were to provide a validated French-language assessment tool for ARFID and to examine the distribution of different ARFID subtypes (food avoidance based on sensory sensitivity, lack of interest in eating, fear of aversive consequences) in French children and adolescents, in the overall sample and by individuals' characteristics (i.e., age, gender). Using a translation and back-translation procedure, a French version of the PARDI-AR-Q was administered to 119 parents of children and adolescents with ARFID aged 2 to 16 years. Psychometric analyses supported the existence of the three subtypes with satisfactory internal consistency. Younger children had higher Sensory sensitivity and Lack of interest scores compared to older, while no sex differences were observed for the three subtypes. Hierarchical cluster analysis identified five ARFID profiles (two pure and three combined). These findings support the availability of a reliable French-language instrument for ARFID diagnosis and underscore the importance of recognizing mixed presentations to inform early detection and tailored clinical interventions.