The Eating Attitudes Test: psychometric features and clinical correlates

TLDR

The authors propose an abbreviated 26‑item Eating Attitudes Test (EAT‑26) derived from factor analysis of the original 40‑item scale. They developed the EAT‑26 by factor‑analysing the EAT‑40 and provided normative data for both anorexia nervosa and healthy comparison groups. The EAT‑26 demonstrates excellent reliability and validity, correlates almost perfectly with the EAT‑40, and its subscales differentiate bulimic from restrictive anorexia nervosa patients, making it a useful objective measure of anorexia symptoms.

Abstract

Synopsis Psychometric and clinical correlates of the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT) are described for a large sample of female anorexia nervosa ( N = 160) and female comparison ( N = 140) subjects. An abbreviated 26-item version of the EAT (EAT-26) is proposed, based on a factor analysis of the original scale (EAT-40). The EAT-26 is highly correlated with the EAT-40 ( r = 0·98) and three factors form subscales which are meaningfully related to bulimia, weight, body-image variables and psychological symptoms. Whereas there are no differces between bulimic and restricter anorexia nervosa patients on the total EAT-26 and EAT-40 scores, these groups do indicate significant differences on EAT-26 fractors. Norms for the anorexia nervosa and female comparison subjects are presented for the EAT-26, EAT-40 and the EAT-26 factors. It is concluded that the EAT-26 is a reliable, valid and economical instrument which may be useful as an objective measure of the symptoms of anorexia nervosa.