Comparison of methods for identifying and assessing obese patients with binge eating disorder in primary care settings

Abstract

Given the prevalence and health significance of binge eating disorder (BED) it is important to determine if time-efficient self-reports can adequately assess BED and its features in primary care settings. We compared the Eating Disorder Examination-Questionnaire (EDE-Q) and Questionnaire for Eating and Weight Patterns-Revised (QEWP-R), administered to obese patients with BED in primary care setting to the Eating Disorder Examination (EDE) interview. Sixty-six participants completed the questionnaires and were interviewed. The EDE interview was significantly correlated with the EDE-Q (binge eating, four subscales, and global score) and the QEWP-R (binge eating, distress, and body image). The EDE-Q yielded significantly lower estimates of binge eating and significantly higher scores on the EDE subscales. The QEWP-R yielded significantly higher scores on the behavioral indicators and distress about binge eating and body image variables. These findings suggest that these two self-report measures have potential utility for identifying BED in obese patients in primary care.