Children's eating attitudes test (ChEAT): validation and reliability in Turkish children.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to examine the validity and reliability of the children's eating attitudes test (ChEAT) in Turkish children. METHODS: The participants were 331 children (137 boys and 194 girls, ages 8-15). Data was collected through face-to-face interviews using a questionnaire containing socio-demographic characteristics, the ChEAT, and the children's eating behaviour questionnaire (CEBQ). Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was performed to determine the factor structure of the Turkish version of the ChEAT. Additionally, the reliability was examined in terms of internal consistency and test-retest reliability. All statistical analyses were performed using Mplus Trial Version and SPSS 11.5 (SPSS, Chicago, IL, USA). RESULTS: According to the goodness-of-fit statistic, a three-factor solution was appropriate and compatible with clinical considerations. The three factors explained 50.1% of the variance. Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.75 for ChEAT-26, 0.67 for "Preoccupation with thinness and food", 0.63 for "Social pressure to eat", and 0.71 for "Dieting". Furthermore, the test-retest reliability was 0.72, 0.62, 0.59, and 0.59 respectively. Statistically significant correlations between the ChEAT and CEBQ were found (p < 0.05). "Preoccupation with thinness and food" was significantly higher in obese children (p < 0.05), while "Social pressure to eat" was lower (p < 0.001). Sex, grade, BMI, parental education in addition to working status affected the ChEAT-26 scores. CONCLUSIONS: The present study has provided preliminary evidence for the validity and reliability of a Turkish version of the ChEAT.

Early diagnosis and intervention of abnormal eating attitudes are crucial to minimizing adverse physical as well as psychological health outcomes such as obesity or being underweight for children with eating disorders. Since eating disorders occur early, screening for nutritional attitudes along with behaviors is crucial. The Children's Eating Attitudes Test (ChEAT) was developed by Maloney et al. to evaluate eating attitudes and behaviors in children. This study aimed to adapt the ChEAT-26 to Turkish and evaluate its validity and reliability. The present study has provided preliminary evidence for the validity and reliability of a Turkish version of the ChEAT. High scores on ChEAT-26 indicate the severity of the eating disorder.