Abstract
The Child Eating Behaviour Questionnaire (CEBQ) is a validated parent-report measure of appetitive traits associated with weight in childhood. There is currently no matched measure for use in adults. The aim of this study was to adapt the CEBQ into a self-report Adult Eating Behaviour Questionnaire (AEBQ) to explore whether the associations between appetitive traits and BMI observed in children are present in adults. Two adult samples were recruited one year apart from an online survey panel in 2013 (n = 708) and 2014 (n = 954). Both samples completed the AEBQ and self-reported their weight and height. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to derive 35 items for the AEBQ in Sample 1 and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to replicate the factor structure in Sample 2. Reliability of the AEBQ was assessed using Cronbach’s α and a two week test-retest in a sub-sample of 93 participants. Correlations between appetitive traits measured by the AEBQ and BMI were calculated. PCA and CFA results showed the AEBQ to be a reliable questionnaire (Cronbach’s α > 0.70) measuring 8 appetitive traits similar to the CEBQ [Hunger (H), Food Responsiveness (FR), Emotional Over-Eating (EOE), Enjoyment of Food (EF), Satiety Responsiveness (SR), Emotional Under-eating (EUE), Food Fussiness (FF) and Slowness in Eating (SE)]. Associations with BMI showed FR, EF (p < 0.05) and EOE (p < 0.01) were positively associated and SR, EUE and SE (p < 0.01) were negatively associated. Overall, the AEBQ appears to be a reliable measure of appetitive traits in adults which translates well from the validated child measure. Adults with a higher BMI had higher scores for ‘food approach’ traits (FR, EOE and EF) and lower scores for ‘food avoidance’ traits (SR, EUE and SE).
Highlights
The current obesity epidemic has reached widespread proportions, showing a combined increase in adult overweight and obesity prevalence of 27.5% worldwide between 1980 and 2013 (Ng et al, 2014)
The item “My child is always asking for food” from the Food Responsiveness (FR) construct in the Child Eating Behaviour Questionnaire (CEBQ), which became “I am always asking for food” in the Adult Eating Behaviour Questionnaire (AEBQ), was difficult for adults to relate to
Correlations between appetitive traits and BMI showed that adults with higher BMIs scored higher for Food Responsiveness, Emotional Over-Eating and Enjoyment of Food and lower for Satiety Responsiveness, Emotional Under-Eating and Slowness in Eating
Summary
The current obesity epidemic has reached widespread proportions, showing a combined increase in adult overweight and obesity prevalence of 27.5% worldwide between 1980 and 2013 (Ng et al, 2014). Factors such as food overconsumption and decreases in physical activity are interacting to determine weight gain (Llewellyn & Wardle, 2015). These behaviours are thought to be influenced both by the environment and by genetically determined appetitive traits (Llewellyn, van Jaarsveld, Plomin, Fisher, & Wardle, 2012), defined as a set of stable predispositions towards food (Carnell, Benson, Pryor, & Driggin, 2013). The behavioural susceptibility theory of obesity (Llewellyn & Wardle, 2015) suggests that individual differences in these traits relate to susceptibility to gain weight (or not) in response to the current obesogenic environment
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