Validation of the Adult Eating Behavior Questionnaire (AEBQ) in a young adult Black sample in the U.S.: Evaluating the psychometric properties and associations with BMI

Abstract

The Adult Eating Behavior Questionnaire (AEBQ) is an instrument developed in the UK and used to examine appetitive traits in adults. The AEBQ is divided into four Food Approach subscales, namely; Enjoyment of Food, Emotional Overeating, Food Responsiveness and Hunger, and four Food Avoidance subscales, namely; Emotional Undereating, Food Fussiness, Slowness in Eating, and Satiety Responsiveness. The instrument has been validated in a number of countries. However, there is limited evidence to show the validation of the AEBQ in predominantly Black populations. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to validate the AEBQ in a Black young adult sample in the U.S.A. Participants (n = 229) consisted of young adults with an average age (20.97 ± 4.31) attending a Central Virginia Historically Black University. Reliability Analysis and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) were conducted. Correlations, as well as multivariate multiple linear regression models were estimated. Food Avoidance subscales demonstrated more internal consistency than the Food Approach subscales. The CFA results indicated a 7-factor model in which the Hunger subscale was eliminated to fit the data better overall. The Food Approach subscales demonstrated more convergent validity than the Food Avoidance subscales. BMI significantly predicted both Emotion Overeating and Emotional Undereating, as well as Food Fussiness. Moreover, both sex and age significantly predicted Emotional Undereating, Food Responsiveness and Hunger. Further, sex significantly predicted Emotional Overeating and Satiety Responsiveness. Lastly, depression predicted Emotional Undereating. In conclusion, this study provided some evidence to support the use of the AEBQ as a reliable and valid measure of adult eating behavior.