Validation de l’Échelle Française d’Orthorexie

Abstract

ObjectiveOrthorexia is a recently identified disorder that is defined by obsessive concerns about healthy eating, significantly impaired functioning, and mental suffering. An orthorexic person obsessively attaches importance to the quality of the food s/he eats. The aim of this study is to present the design and validation of the French Orthorexia Scale (FOS). MethodThe development of the FOS consists in a three-step procedure. Three assessments were made with three different samples (n1=455; n2=473; n3=440). The first step was to collect the point of view of French participants in order to test and to improve the items created and the Likert scale for responses. Participants were invited to comment at the end of each item. The second step was to make an exploratory factor analysis to develop the structure of the questionnaire. The third step was to verify this structure through confirmatory factor analysis, internal coherence, and correlations. The questionnaires were posted online, on social networks. Participants completed the newly created scale, the Bratman Orthorexia Test, the ORTO-12-FR, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). ResultsQualitative and quantitative analyses led us to elaborate a short scale of 12 items (FOS-12) with correct psychometric properties and stable factor structure (χ2=143; P<.001; CFI=.942; TLI=.921; SRMR=.0459; RMSEA=.0670). The internal coherence is very satisfying (α=0.82), indicating that the scales are reliable. The validity with the other scales of orthorexia is effective, and correlations are strong and significant (r=.57; P<.001 with the BOT and r=−.55; P<.001 with the ORTO-12-FR), which indicates that the questionnaire correctly measures what it is supposed to measure. DiscussionThe various existing orthorexia scales are open to criticism. FOS-12 aims to be complete and specific to French culture. The mixed methodology is based on the most recent criteria for orthorexia. The results obtained concerning the validation of the scale are very satisfying. ConclusionThis study presents the creation and validation of a French orthorexia questionnaire. This simple and practical tool will be available for all health professionals and researchers in psychology who are interested in this emerging pathology.