Development of the Disordered Eating Scale for Adolescents Aged 14-18.

This study aimed to develop a scale for evaluating disordered eating attitudes and behaviors among adolescents aged 14 to 18. The scale’s factor structure was examined with a total of 1379 participants, revealing 14 items and three sub-dimensions that accounted for 58.46% of the total variance. The scale demonstrated good internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha = .86) and test-retest reliability (r = .90). Regarding criterion validity, the correlation between the Disordered Eating Scale (DES) and the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q) was found to be .86. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis results indicated a sensitivity of .930 and a specificity of .91 for the ≥31 cut-off point. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted, and the model fit indexes for both applications were as follows: x 2 = 287.43, df = 73, x 2/df = 3.94, RMSEA = 0.079, CFI = 0.938, TLI = 0.922, and SRMR = 0.045. These findings supported the three-dimensional model, suggesting that disordered eating can be measured through restriction, weight anxiety, and extraction-control behaviors dimensions with a total of 14 items. The DES is deemed suitable for screening and evaluating negative eating behaviors and potential psychopathology in adolescents, including those with and without clinical eating disorder symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]