Investigating the factor structure and measurement invariance of the eating disorder examination questionnaire (EDE-Q) among cisgender gay men and lesbian women from the United States

BackgroundAlthough the Eating Disorder Examination-Questionnaire (EDE-Q) is one of the most widely used self-report assessments of eating disorder symptoms, evidence indicates potential limitations with its original factor structure and associated psychometric properties in a variety of populations, including sexual minority populations. The aims of the current investigation were to explore several previously published EDE-Q factor structures and to examine internal consistency and measurement invariance of the best-fitting EDE-Q model in a large community sample of cisgender gay men and cisgender lesbian women.MethodsData were drawn from 1624 adults (1060 cisgender gay men, 564 cisgender lesbian women) who participated in The PRIDE Study, a large-scale longitudinal cohort study of sexual and gender minorities from the United States. A series of confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs) were conducted to explore the fit of eight proposed EDE-Q models; internal consistency (Cronbach's alphas, Omega coefficients) and measurement invariance (multi-group CFA) were subsequently evaluated.ResultsA brief seven-item, three-factor (dietary restraint, shape/weight overvaluation, body dissatisfaction) model of the EDE-Q from Grilo et al. (Obes Surg. 23:657-662, 2013), consistently evidenced the best fit across cisgender gay men and lesbian women. The internal consistencies of the three subscales were adequate in both groups, and measurement invariance across the groups was supported.ConclusionsTaken together, these findings support the use of the seven-item, three-factor version of the EDE-Q for assessing eating disorder symptomatology in cisgender gay men and lesbian women. Future studies can confirm the current findings in focused examinations of the seven-item, three-factor EDE-Q in diverse sexual minority samples across race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and age ranges. We asked cisgender gay men and lesbian women in The PRIDE Study to fill out a widely used survey about eating disorders, the Eating Disorder Examination-Questionnaire. We found that a version of this questionnaire based on seven questions including three parts-(1) dietary restraint, (2) shape and weight overvaluation, and (3) body dissatisfaction-had the best fit. These findings can assist doctors and scientists in understanding eating disorders in cisgender gay men and lesbian women.