Concurrent validity of self-report measures of eating disorders in adolescents with type 1 diabetes

Aim: Eating disorder screening tools have not been adequately validated for use with adolescents with type 1 diabetes. This study compared the Youth Eating Disorder ExaminationQuestionnaire (YEDE-Q) and the Eating Disorder Inventory-3 Risk Composite (EDI-3RC) against the child Eating Disorder Examination (chEDE). These screening tools were chosen because they broadly assess eating disorder psychopathology and have subscales helpful for clinical management. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 124 adolescents with type 1 diabetes aged 1318 years completed two self-administered questionnaires, the YEDE-Q and the EDI-3RC. Cronbachs alpha was used to assess internal consistency of the tools. Fifty-one adolescents, randomly selected, participated in the chEDE. Intraclass correlations and Spearmans correlations were used to measure concordance of the chEDE with the YEDE-Q and EDI-3RC. Results: The YEDE-Q and EDI-3RC demonstrated good subscale internal consistency; Cronbachs alpha for YEDE-Q (0.780.95) and EDI-3RC (0.790.94). High levels of concurrent validity with the chEDE were seen with both tools. Conclusion: Preliminary evidence is provided for the validation of the YEDE-Q and EDI-3RC for use in adolescents with type 1 diabetes. The YEDE-Q also defines individual disturbed eating behaviours with frequency ratings which can be helpful for tailoring early intervention.