Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-lj6df Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-11T20:14:42.505Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The factor structure of the Eating Attitudes Test with adolescent schoolgirls

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2009

J. Elisabeth Wells ,
Patricia A. Coope ,
Diane C. Gabb  and
Richard K. Pears
J. Elisabeth Wells*
Affiliation:
Department of Community Health, Christchurch Clinical School of Medicine, Otago University; St Margaret's College, Christchurch Family Medicine Training Programme, New Zealand
Patricia A. Coope
Affiliation:
Department of Community Health, Christchurch Clinical School of Medicine, Otago University; St Margaret's College, Christchurch Family Medicine Training Programme, New Zealand
Diane C. Gabb
Affiliation:
Department of Community Health, Christchurch Clinical School of Medicine, Otago University; St Margaret's College, Christchurch Family Medicine Training Programme, New Zealand
Richard K. Pears
Affiliation:
Department of Community Health, Christchurch Clinical School of Medicine, Otago University; St Margaret's College, Christchurch Family Medicine Training Programme, New Zealand
*
1 Address for correspondence: Dr J. E. Wells, Department of Community Health, Christchurch Clinical School of Medicine, PO Box 4345 Christchurch, New Zealand.
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Synopsis

The 40-item Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-40) was administered to teenage schoolgirls. Factor analysis (N = 749) yielded a major dieting factor almost identical to that found by Garner et al. (1982) with anorexics. Although this factor clearly measures pathology in underweight girls, its interpretation is ambiguous for normal and overweight girls. Two other factors found in all analyses were food preoccupation and social pressure to eat.

Type
Research Article
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 15 , Issue 1 , February 1985 , pp. 141 - 146
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1985

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Button, E. J. & Whitehouse, A. (1981). Subclinical anorexia nervosa. Psychological Medicine 11, 509–516.Google Scholar
Cattell, R. B. (1966). The scree test for the number of factors. Multivariate Behavioural Research 1, 245–276.Google Scholar
Coope, P. A., Gabb, D. C., MacDonald, G., Pears, R. K., Wells, J. E. & Woolfield, F. J. (1984). Age at menarche: a 1981–82 Christchurch sample. New Zealand Family Physician 11, 18–19.Google Scholar
Dixon, W. J. (ed.) (1981). BMDP Statistical Software 1981. University of California Press: Berkeley, Ca.Google Scholar
Feighner, J. P., Robins, E., Guze, S. B., Woodruff, R. A. Jr, Winokur, G. & Munoz, R. (1972). Diagnostic criteria for use in psychiatric research. Archives of General Psychiatry 26, 57–63.Google Scholar
Garner, D. M. & Garfinkel, P. E. (1979). The Eating Attitudes Test: an index of the symptoms of anorexia nervosa. Psychological Medicine 9, 273–279.Google Scholar
Garner, D. M. & Garfinkel, P. E. (1980). Socio-cultural factors in the development of anorexia nervosa. Psychological Medicine 10, 647–656.Google Scholar
Garner, D. M., Olmsted, M. P., Bohr, Y. & Garfinkel, P. E. (1982). The Eating Attitudes Test: psychometric features and clinical correlates. Psychological Medicine 12, 871–878.Google Scholar
Hall, A. (1981). Anorexia nervosa. New Zealand Medical Journal 94, 460–462.Google Scholar
Hawkins, R. C. & Clement, P. F. (1980). Development and construct validation of a self-report measure of binge eating tendencies. Addictive Behaviours 5, 219–226.Google Scholar
Mann, A. H., Wakeling, A., Wood, K., Monk, E., Dobbs, R. & Szmukler, G. (1983). Screening for abnormal eating attitudes and psychiatric morbidity in an unselected population of 15-year-old schoolgirls. Psychological Medicine 13, 573–580.Google Scholar
Metropolitan Life Insurance Company (1959). New weight standards for men and women. Statistical Bulletin 40, 3.Google Scholar
Wardle, J. (1980). Dietary restraint and binge eating. Behavioural Analysis and Modification 4, 201–209.Google Scholar
Williams, P., Hand, D. & Tarnopolsky, A. (1982). The problem of screening for uncommon disorders – a comment on the Eating Attitudes Test. Psychological Medicine 12, 431–434.Google Scholar