The Intuitive Eating Scale-3: an examination of its psychometric properties in French-speaking Canadian adults

The Intuitive Eating Scale-3 (IES-3) is a new 12-item instrument that provides an updated assessment of intuitive eating, a recognized protective factor of disordered eating. However, the IES-3's psychometric properties have not been assessed outside the parent study. Here, we assessed the psychometric properties of a novel French translation of the IES-3 in 772 French-speaking Canadian adults. Respondents completed the French IES-3 alongside additional measures selected to provide assessments of validity. Exploratory factor analysis with a first split-half subsample showed that a 4-factor model fit the data well. In a second split-half subsample, a bifactor-exploratory structural equation model (B-ESEM) with a G-factor and four S-factors best fit the data. Across subsamples, the 4-factor and B-ESEM models demonstrated gender invariance, and did not show measurement bias in terms of age and body mass index (BMI). Additional analyses showed some variation in intuitive eating as a function of age, BMI, and gender identity. Finally, results supported the composite reliability and convergent and concurrent validity. In sum, the French IES-3 demonstrates strong psychometric properties.