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Eating Disorders Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q): norms for US college students

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Abstract

Purpose

To present normative data for the Eating Disorders Examination Questionnaire, 6th edition (EDE-Q) from a large (n = 2,448), diverse (56 % White) sample of college students.

Methods

Participants completed the EDE-Q online. Mean scores and percentile ranks for global and subscale (restraint and eating, weight, and shape concerns) scores and binge eating and inappropriate compensatory behavior (dietary restraint, self-induced vomiting, medicine misuse, excessive exercise) frequencies were computed.

Results

Women had higher global and subscale scores and tended to engage in inappropriate compensatory behaviors more often than men. Women with clinically significant restraint, and eating, shape, and weight concerns scores equaled 5.4, 2.0, 18.6, and 13.0 %, respectively, and, for men, equaled 3.0, 0.3, 6.0, and 2.0 %. Compared with less diverse samples, women in this study had significantly higher shape concern and lower restraint and eating concern scores and men had lower shape and weight concern scores.

Conclusions

Normative data from this diverse sample can help healthcare professionals and researchers better interpret EDE-Q scores.

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Acknowledgments

This study was funded by Kappa Omicron Nu Research Fellowship.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Epidemiology Statistics and Prevention Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA

    Virginia M. Quick

  2. Department of Nutritional Sciences, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA

    Carol Byrd-Bredbenner

Authors
  1. Virginia M. Quick
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  2. Carol Byrd-Bredbenner
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Virginia M. Quick.

Additional information

V. M. Quick was a doctoral student at the Rutgers University at the time this research took place.

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Quick, V.M., Byrd-Bredbenner, C. Eating Disorders Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q): norms for US college students. Eat Weight Disord 18, 29–35 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40519-013-0015-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40519-013-0015-1

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