Food Craving Questionnaire-Trait Research Articles

Effect and safety of electroacupuncture on weight loss in obese patients with pre-diabetes: study protocol of a randomised controlled trial

IntroductionObesity has been identified as a significant risk factor for several chronic conditions, including diabetes, tumours and cardiovascular disease, and has been associated with increased mortality rates. Despite the well-established...

Impact of a 6-week dietary and lifestyle modification intervention on food cravings and eating behaviors in women.

the multifaceted nature of food craving mirrors the complexity underlying the development of eating disorders. the study aimed to investigate the impact of a 6-week dietary and lifestyle intervention on food cravings, eating behaviors, and changes in physical and biochemical measures among women. this study constitutes a behavior modification investigation involving a cohort of 35 female participants who sought consultation at a private nutrition counseling facility. At first, anthropometric and biochemical data were recorded; Information Form, Food Craving Questionnaire-Trait Scale (FCQ-T), Three-Factor Eating Scale (TFEQ-R21) were applied and 3-Day Food Consumption Records were taken. After 6 weeks of dietitian follow-up, the data collection tools were repeated and the individuals were compared with the baseline. after 6-week follow-up, according to the examination of the food consumption records, differences in daily energy, fat, monounsaturated fatty acid, fibre, vitamin E, potassium, magnesium, iron intake levels were found significant (p < 0.05). Differences in body weight, body mass index (BMI), waist/height ratio, fat mass, fat ratio and fasting glucose, HbA1c, total cholesterol, triglyceride, LDL, AST, TSH, free T3, free T4 levels were found significant (p < 0.05). According to the FCQ-T evaluation; differences in total and nine sub-dimension scores of the scale were found significant (p < 0.001). According to the TFEQ-R21 evaluation; differences in cognitive restraint, emotional eating and uncontrolled eating scores were found significant (p < 0.05). a successful 6-week dietary and lifestyle intervention with improvement in anthropometric measurements and biochemical parameters is effective in reducing food cravings and regulating eating behaviours.

Obesity and hyperandrogenism are implicated with anxiety, depression and food cravings in women with polycystic ovary syndrome.

PCOS is associated with mood/eating disorders. Negative body image due to obesity, acne, hirsutism seems to play significant role, but hormonal derangements are probably implicated. To investigate the relation between insulin resistance (IR), obesity and hyperandrogenism with mood and eating disorders in women with PCOS. Forty-nine (60.5%) PCOS women and 32(39.5%) age- and BMI-matched healthy controls were enrolled. Emotional/food disorders were evaluated by using self-administered questionnaires: Eating Attitudes Test (EAT)-26, Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), Hamilton anxiety scale (HAS) and Food Craving Questionnaire-Trait (FCQ-T). The two groups had no significant differences regarding age, BMI and HOMA2-IR. PCOS women had significantly higher DHEA-S (p < 0.0001), Δ4Α (p < 0.0001) and Testosterone (p < 0.0001). When the two groups were subclassified according to the BMI, in lean (BMI < 25 kg/m2) or overweight (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2), no significant differences were found with respect to EAT-26 and HAS. BDI-II was associated with obesity (overweight vs lean PCOS: 20.5 ± 6.4 vs 9.8 ± 3.9; p = 0.037) and hyperandrogenism (overweight PCOS vs overweight controls: 20.5 ± 6.4 vs 14.8 ± 8.1; p < 0.0001; lean PCOS vs overweight controls: 16.7 ± 4.7 vs 14.8 ± 8.1; p = 0.01). Additionally, a significant correlation between BDI-II and DHEA-S (rho = 0.305; p = 0.006), Δ4Α (rho = 0.259; p = 0.02) and Testosterone (rho = 0.328; p = 0.003) was reported. FCQ-T was associated with obesity (overweight PCOS vs lean PCOS: 47.6 ± 9.9 vs 29.3 ± 8.9; p < 0.0001; overweight controls vs lean PCOS: 45.5 ± 15.7 vs 29.3 ± 8.9; p < 0.0001), whereas a correlation between FCQ-T and BMI (rho = 0.593; p = 0.0001), waist circumference (rho = 0.554; p = 0.0001) and HOMA2-IR (rho = 0.328; p = 0.003) was documented. Obesity and hyperandrogenism increase the risk of depression and food cravings in women with PCOS, leading to a vicious circle of further aggravation of obesity and metabolic syndrome.

Is Ramadan model of intermittent fasting related to hedonic hunger?

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to examine hedonic hunger at the end of the Ramadan fasting.Design/methodology/approachData were collected by the Power of Food Scale (PFS), Food Craving Questionnaire-Trait (FCQ-T) and the Visual Analogue Scale. All data were taken twice at the beginning and end of Ramadan fasting.FindingsA total number of 105 volunteers (43.8% female and 56.2% male) participated in a cross-sectional study. Ramadan fasting associated with PFS food tasted sub-factor, whereas no association was found on PFS aggregate and other PFS domain factors. Participants had higher PFS food tasted domain score at the end of the Ramadan fasting than before Ramadan fasting (p < 0.001). Total FCQ-T score as well as all sub-domains did not differ significantly. Females desired to consume carbonated beverages more, whereas in male (p = 0.04), ice cream was the most craved food.Originality/valueThe findings of this study provide data to the literature about the relation between Ramadan fasting and hedonic hunger. Ramadan fasting appears to have an influence on pleasure at first bite. The effect of Ramadan fasting on hedonic hunger should be tested with larger samples and controlled trials.

Psychometric assessment of Persian translation of Yale Food Addiction Scale Version 2.0 (YFAS 2.0) in Iranian college students

BackgroundFood addiction at the individual level causes physical and mental health problems, impairs individuals' social functioning, and causes dysfunction in the family system. Therefore, a tool to identify this behavioral disorder is one of the health requirements of communities. This research aimed to investigate the psychometric assessment of the Persian translation of Yale Food Addiction Scale Version 2.0 (YFAS 2.0) in Iranian college students.MethodThis research was cross-sectional descriptive, and 451 students were selected by convenience sampling method. Yale Food Addiction Scale Version 2.0 (YFAS 2.0), Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21), and Food Craving Questionnaire-Trait, reduced (FCQ-T-r) were used to collect data.ResultsThe confirmatory factor analysis indicated that single-factor model provides a good fit to data (SRMR = 0.078; CFI = 0.94; NFI = 0.92; IFI = 0.94; RFI = 0.91; GFI = 0.90; RMSEA = 0.078). The YFAS's 2.0 positive correlations with three DASS-21 subscales ranged from 0.30 to 0.39, and Food Craving Questionnaire-Trait, reduced (FCQ-T-r) ranged from 0.58 to 0.72. All correlations were statistically significant, indicating acceptable convergent validity (P < 0.01).ConclusionThe validity of the Persian questionnaire translation has been confirmed. Researchers and specialists can use this scale to diagnose food addiction for research or diagnostic purposes in Iranian society.

Psychometric properties of the shortened Farsi version of the Food Cravings Questionnaire-Trait.

Food craving contributes to the incidence of weight and food-related disorders. Thus, an accurate measurement of food craving is important for clinical and research purposes. We aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the shortened Farsi version of the Food Craving Questionnaire- Trait (FCQ-T-r), an internationally validated tool. For this cross-sectional study, data was collected from 153 students of the University of Tehran between February and March 2019 using the Farsi version of FCQ-T-r; Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21); and the Quality of Life questionnaire (WHOQOL-BREF). Confirmatory factor analysis using SPSS AMOS (version 21) failed to support the one-factor structure of FCQ-T-r in Farsi, so we conducted an exploratory factor analysis to investigate the factor structure of the questionnaire. Exploratory factor analysis reflected a 3-factor structure responsible 73.3% of the variance factor 1 "preoccupation with food", factor 2 "lack of control over eating" and factor 3 "emotional eating". Internal consistency of the FCQ-T-r was excellent (McDonald's ω = 0.950). The FCQ-T-r scores were correlated with body mass index, DASS-21, and WHOQOL-BREF values, which supports concurrent validity of the tool. The Farsi version of FCQ-T-r is a reliable and valid self-administrated tool to measure food craving traits among Iranian university students. Given the unstable factor structure of the questionnaire in different studies, further research should be conducted explore the factor structure of the tool.

Food Craving in Obese Subjects: Its Correlation with Atherogenic Index and Feeding Behavior-Related Gene Expression

Obesity is influenced by environmental, behavioral, and genetic factors; particularly genes related to the regulation of lipids and addictive behavior. Food craving (FC) is a physiological and behavioral response that triggers the intense desire to ingest food, particularly food with high energy, fat, and/or sweet content. Objective: To evaluate the relationship between the prevalence of FC in obese subjects and blood lipids as well as to determine the transcriptional modulation of CART, DRD2, and FTO. Method: Transverse, comparative, and randomized study including 21 obese participants (BMI, ≥30 kg/m2] and 20 normal weight participants (BMI, ≤25 kg/m2). We determined CART, DRD2, and FTO expressions; evaluated blood lipid levels; and obtained trait scores on the Food Craving Questionnaire-Trait, a multifactorial instrument validated for the Mexican population. Results: The DRD2 expression was significantly increased (p = 0.027) and the CART expression was significantly decreased (p = 0.001) in obese participants compared with normal weight participants. The FTO expression did not show significant differences. Food Craving Questionnaire-Trait showed scores of ≥72 in obese participants. Conclusions: Linear regression model analysis showed that FC is a predictor of atherogenic index (ATH), independently of BMI, and of the gene expression modulation of CART and DRD2.

Striatal Dopamine Transporter Availability Is Not Associated with Food Craving in Lean and Obese Humans; a Molecular Imaging Study.

Brain dopamine signaling is essential for the motivation to eat, and obesity is associated with altered dopaminergic signaling and increased food craving. We used molecular neuroimaging to explore whether striatal dopamine transporter (DAT) availability is associated with craving as measured with the General Food Craving Questionnaire-Trait (G-FCQ-T). We here show that humans with obesity (n = 34) experienced significantly more craving for food compared with lean subjects (n = 32), but food craving did not correlate significantly with striatal DAT availability as assessed with 123I-FP-CIT single-photon emission computed tomography. We conclude that food craving is increased in obesity, but the scores for food craving are not related to changes in striatal DAT availability.

Getting to the heart of food craving with resting heart rate variability in adolescents

BackgroundThere is an epidemic of obesity in children and adolescents. Research into the self-regulatory factors that drive eating behavior is of critical importance. Food craving contributes to overeating and difficulty with weight loss and is strongly correlated with self-regulation. High-frequency heart rate variability (HF HRV) reflects parasympathetic activity and is positively associated with self-regulation. Few studies of HF HRV and food craving have been conducted in adolescents. The current study examined the association between HF HRV and food craving in a large-scale sample of healthy adolescents. MethodElectrocardiogram (ECG) was recorded in 134 healthy adolescents aged 10–17 during a 7-min resting state. Participants also completed the Food Craving Questionnaire-Trait (FCQ-T). The relative power of HF HRV was calculated. Association between HF HRV and food craving was examined in the context of sex and age. Next, the relative significance of all food craving subscales was considered in relation to HF HRV. ResultsHF HRV was inversely correlated with food craving, taking into account sex and age. Considering all the subscales of FCQ-T in relation to HF HRV, the “lack of control over eating” subscale accounted for the most significant variance. ConclusionThis was the first study to evaluate resting HRV and eating behaviors in a large-scale adolescent sample. HF HRV was negatively associated with food craving, with lower HF HRV correlating with higher food craving, especially in the context of diminished control over eating. HF HRV could be a potential biomarker for food craving and food-related self-regulation capacity, and therefore may aid weight management interventions.

COVID-19 Lockdown and Changes of the Dietary Pattern and Physical Activity Habits in a Cohort of Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

The COVID-19 lockdown clearly affected the lifestyle of the population and entailed changes in their daily habits, which involved potential health consequences, especially on patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM). We aimed to examine the impact of the lockdown caused by COVID-19 pandemic on both nutrition and exercise habits, as well as the psychological effects in patients with T2DM, compared to their usual diet and physical activity level previous to the complete home confinement. We also intended to analyse any potential variables that may have influenced these lifestyle modifications. A Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ), Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), Food Craving Questionnaire-State (FCQ-S) and Food Craving Questionnaire-Trait (FCQ-T) were used. Our results showed an increase in vegetable, sugary food and snack consumption. An association between levels of foods cravings and snack consumption was also found. Data also showed a high percentage of physical inactivity before the COVID-19 lockdown, which was exacerbated during the home confinement. These findings emphasise the great importance to do further research with larger study samples to analyse and explore dietary habits and to develop public health policies to promote a healthy lifestyle in terms of diet and physical activity in these patients, especially after this strict period of lockdown.

Validation study of the Food Craving Questionnaire-Trait: Reduced in Greek population.

Food craving (FC) is a behavior which results in an increased total energy intake. It is considered to be a multivariate outcome of (neuro)biologicals and environmental alterations that mostly impacts in bulimic and binge-eating behaviors. FC measurement questionnaires vary in the literature, with the most widely used being the Food Craving Questionnaire-State, Trait and Traitreduced. The purpose of the current study was the validation of the Food Craving Questionnaire-Traitreduced (FCQ-T-r) in Greek population. Along with the FCQ-T-r, the Eating Attitude Test-26 (EAT-26) was used for the evaluation of nutritional behavior, as well as the General Health Questionnaire-28 (GHQ-28) for assessing the health of the sample and a self-generated questionnaire for demographic information and anthropometric measurements. The Principal Component Analysis (PCA) confirmation was made with Monte-Carlo Parallel Analysis (PA). The FCQ-T-r showed a high internal consistency (Cronbach's Alpha=0.927) explaining up to 62.5% variance of the sample. The PCA indicated a two-factor solution (Thoughts & Emotions and Lack of Control) highly correlated with 14 questions in contrast from the original version which consists one-factor with 15 questions. The Monte-Carlo PA confirmed these findings. Additionally, statistical significantly and positively weak to moderate correlations have been observed between the total score of FCQ-T-r with the EAT-26 (r=0.28), EAT-Dieting (r=0.27), EAT-Bulimia (r=0.41) and the GHQ (total score and sub-scales r=0.17 to 0.24). Concurrent, its sub-scales Thoughts & Emotions and Lack of Control were statistical significantly stronger correlated with EAT-Dieting (r=0.24/0.38), EAT-Bulimia (r=0.27/0.37) and lower with GHQ and its sub-scales (total score and sub-scales r=0.15 to 0.29). The above results suggest fair psychometric properties and validity of the FCQ-T-r that could be a useful tool for indicating-measuring the tendency of food craving and possibly the eating behavior.

S232. ASSOCIATIONS OF FOOD CRAVING WITH PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS IN PATIENTS WITH FIRST-EPISODE PSYCHOSIS

BackgroundObesity in patients with schizophrenia have important effects on metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, mortality, quality of life and treatment compliance. There is a growing interest in recognizing and intervening this problem. In this study, we aimed to explore the associations of food craving and eating pattern on weight gain and psychiatric characteristics in patients with first-episode psychosis.MethodsWe analyzed data from clinical cohort of first-episode psychosis. To exclude compounding effects of antipsychotics, we included patients who took one of amisulpride, paliperidone, and aripiprazole and whose duration of treatment was 3 months or less. The degree of food craving was measured by General Food Craving Questionnaire-Trait (G-FCQ-T). Psychiatric characteristics were investigated by Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (YBOCS), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (SES), and Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). Weight was measured at baseline and 3 months. Associations between the G-FCQ-T and other measures including weight gain for 3 months were analyzed by gender.ResultsA total of 180 patients with first-episode psychosis were enrolled in this analysis. In male patients, the G-FCQ-T score was significantly associated with scores on the YBOCS and SES. In female patients, the G-FCQ-T score was significantly associated with the BDI, PSS, baseline body weight and weight gain for 3 monthsDiscussionThis study demonstrated the associations of food craving with depression, perceived stress, and weight gain in female patients and with obsessive compulsive symptoms and self-esteem in male patients. These results suggest various moderators impact weight gain and food craving in patients with first-episode psychosis.

Food cravings: Associations with dietary intake and metabolic health

Food cravings are a desire for specific foods which, if uncontrolled may lead to excess energy intake and weight gain. However, information on the relation between food cravings, dietary intake, and indices of metabolic health is limited. This study used baseline data from females (n = 229; aged 40.9 ± 0.7 years; BMI 34.7 ± 6.4 kg/m2) who were dependents of active duty and retired military personnel, and enrolled in the Healthy Families Healthy Forces weight loss and maintenance study. Measures obtained included food cravings using the Food Craving Questionnaire-Trait (which provides a habitual and stable measure of food cravings), dietary composition and eating patterns from three 24-h dietary recalls and the Stanford 7-day Physical Activity Recall, body composition from anthropometric measures, cardiometabolic risk factors from blood measures, and demographic information from questionnaires. Linear, quantile, or logistic regression models were used to examine the association of total food craving scores on dietary intake, and indices of metabolic health. In individuals reporting plausible energy intake (n = 146; 2210 ± kcals/day) higher food craving scores were associated with a lower diet quality (P < 0.05), higher eating frequency (P = 0.02), longer daily eating interval (P < 0.05), and a lower likelihood of following a time restricted eating pattern (P = 0.02). Food cravings were also positively associated with BMI (P = 0.03) and waist circumference (P = 0.01), but not with measures of cardiometabolic risk (LDL, HDL, total cholesterol:HDL, triglycerides, glucose, glycated hemoglobin, insulin and C-reactive protein concentrations, blood pressure, metabolic syndrome). Our findings of significant associations of food cravings with lower diet quality, poor eating patterns, and unfavorable body composition strongly support efforts of targeting cravings in behavioral programs for weight management.

The association between chronotype, food craving and weight gain in pregnant women.

This cross-sectional study investigated the association between chronotype, food craving and weight gain in pregnant women. In total, 245 pregnant women attending the public health service in Brazil were included. Chronotype was derived from the time of mid-sleep time on free days, with a further correction for calculated sleep debt, and higher scores on this variable indicate a tendency to eveningness. A Food Craving Questionnaire Trait and State assessment was performed, and weight gain was calculated. Generalised linear models were used to determine the association between the variables under analysis. Evening types presented higher anticipation of relief from negative states and feelings as a result of eating as a usual behaviour compared to morning (P=0.013) and non-evening types (P=0.028); less intense desire to eat as a sporadic behaviour compared to morning (P=0.012) and non-evening types (P=0.009); and less anticipation of positive reinforcement that may result from eating as a sporadic behaviour than non-evening types (P=0.022). We also found a significant association between chronotype score and anticipation of relief from negative states and feelings as a result of eating (P=0.004); anticipation of positive reinforcement that may result from eating (P=0.013) as a usual behaviour; weight gain during the early gestational period (P=0.024); and intense desire to eat (P=0.045) as a sporadic behaviour. We conclude that evening chronotype was associated with the food craving trait. Pregnant women who tend to eveningness are more likely to gain weight in the early gestational period.

Association of food cravings with weight gain, overweight, and obesity in patients after liver transplantation.

After liver transplantation (LTx), patients often gain weight and many become overweight or obese; however, the association between LTx and food craving (FC) is unknown. The aim of this study was to describe FC among patients after LTx and verify its association with weight gain and obesity. This was a cross-sectional study that assessed 301 patients who underwent LTx (55.1 ± 12.7 y of age; time since LTx 6.6 ± 4.4 y; 64.1% men). Pregnant or nursing women were excluded. Patients were interviewed once either in the outpatient clinic or by completing the online questionnaire, from August 2016 to February 2017. The median weight variation after Ltx was 8 kg (ranging from -16 to +41 kg). At evaluation, 62.5% (n = 188) of the patients presented excessive weight and 22.3% (n = 67) presented with obesity. The average score on the Food Craving Questionnaire-State (FCQ-S) was 33.4 ± 9 and for the Food Craving Questionnaire-Trait (FCQ-T) the median score was 68 (39-163). The FCQ-T dimensions of lack of control, preoccupation, emotion, environmental triggers/stimuli, and guilt correlated positively with weight gain (P < 0.05). The desire dimension on the FCQ-S was significantly associated with overweight in post-LTx patients (P < 0.05) and the FCQ-T dimensions [negative reinforcement (P = 0.013), lack of control (P = 0.016), emotion (P = 0.009), environmental triggers/stimuli (P = 0.029), and guilt (P = 0.007)] were associated with obesity. Lack of control, preoccupation, emotion, trigger, and guilt were positively correlated with weight gain. Desire was significantly associated with overweight. Negative reinforcement, lack of control, emotion, environmental triggers/stimuli, and guilt were associated with obesity.

Adaptation Of The Food Craving Questionnaire-Trait Into Turkish

We aimed to evaluate psychometric features, factor structure and internal consistency of the Turkish version of Food Craving Questionnaire-Trait Scale and to determine its validity. The study was completed with 302 individuals. Sample group includes students-teachers who are at 18-65 age range, have different occupational groups and generally serve at Ministry of National Education and of school administrations. The questionnaires used comprise form of demographical data, food craving scale (including 39 articles) and eating attitudes test (including 40 articles). 39 articles and 9 sub-dimensions of Food Craving Scale were studied by confirmatory factor analysis and it was determined that factor loads and error variances of all articles are proper but fit indexes are not at allowable levels. Reliability and validity studies of Food Craving Scale were carried out using confirmatory factor analysis AMOS 22.0 program and total item correlation, Cronbach Alpha and equivalent (parallel) form reliability tests were carried out using SPSS 15.0 program. Two unpaired sample t tests and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used in comparison by variables. Significance level was determined as0, 05 (p

Targeting acceptance in the management of food craving: The mediating roles of eating styles and thought suppression

Food craving is now widely considered to be a cognitively motivated state. Acceptance-based treatments are effective in reducing the adverse impact of food cravings on consumption, via a hypothesized decrease in experiential avoidance. The mechanisms that drive the success of acceptance-based management of craving remain to be empirically tested. This study examined the role of eating styles and thought suppression as mediators in the relationship between experiential avoidance and craving. Participants (n = 298, 51.5% female) completed the Food Craving Acceptance and Awareness Questionnaire (FAAQ), the Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire (DEBQ), the White Bear Suppression Inventory (WBSI; a measure of thought suppression), and the reduced version of the Food Craving Questionnaire- Trait (FCQ-T-r). Scores on the FAAQ were inversely associated with scores on the FCQ-T-r, DEBQ, and WBSI; FCQ-T-r scores were positively correlated with scores on the DEBQ and WBSI (all p < 0.001). The total indirect effect of acceptance on craving through the hypothesized mediators was significantly different from zero. Controlling for eating styles and thought suppression, acceptance remained a significant predictor of craving. Results thus provide initial evidence that eating styles and thought suppression mediate the relationship between food-specific experiential avoidance and food craving. Findings lay the foundation for future study of the proximal antecedents of food cravings and lend preliminary support for targeting thought suppression and eating styles in acceptance-based approaches to the management of craving.

Emotional and Interoceptive Awareness and Its Relationship to Restriction in Young Women with Eating Disorders and Healthy Controls: a Cascade from Emotional to Behavioral Dysregulation

Recent findings converge to the idea that the central function of eating disorders (ED) can be understood as an attempt to control unwanted or dysregulated emotions. The restriction of food intake can be seen as the predominant and general dysregulated behavior with the aim to reduce emotional experience in women with ED. The aim of the present study was to test the hypothesis that emotional and interoceptive awareness as indexed by the Level of Emotional Awareness Scale (LEAS) and Body Perception Questionnaire (BPQ) will be in negative correlation with food restriction (Restriction Scale) and emotional eating (General Food Craving Questionnaire Trait). Our study was performed on women with ED (N = 73) and healthy controls (N = 207). The findings revealed that, in comparison with the controls, girls from the ED group were less able to discriminate their emotional states and were less aware of their body processes and autonomic nervous system reactivity. Contrary to our hypothesis, a three-stage hierarchical multiple regression analysis showed a significant effect of interoceptive sensitivity and emotional awareness on the restriction. Emotional and interoceptive awareness in women with ED explains the 25.2% variance of restriction in comparison with 8.8% in controls. It seems that the predominant use of restriction in the ED group could be explained by a limited repertoire of emotion regulation strategies or the persistent use of one emotion regulation strategy, such as restriction, while the controls had more options how to regulate their affect. Further studies are needed to explore the relations between these variables and the underlying causal mechanisms.

Cross-validation of the reduced form of the Food Craving Questionnaire-Trait using confirmatory factor analysis.

Objective: The Food Craving Questionnaire-Trait (FCQ-T) is commonly used to assess habitual food cravings among individuals. Previous studies have shown that a brief version of this instrument (FCQ-T-r) has good reliability and validity. This article is the first to use Confirmatory factor analysis to examine the psychometric properties of the FCQ-T-r in a cross-validation study.Method: Habitual food cravings, as well as emotion regulation strategies, affective states, and disordered eating behaviors, were investigated in two independent samples of non-clinical adult volunteers (Sample 1: N = 368; Sample 2: N = 246). Confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to simultaneously test model fit statistics and dimensionality of the instrument. FCQ-T-r reliability was assessed by computing the composite reliability coefficient.Results: Analysis supported the unidimensional structure of the scale and fit indices were acceptable for both samples. The FCQ-T-r showed excellent reliability and moderate to high correlations with negative affect and disordered eating.Conclusion: Our results indicate that the FCQ-T-r scores can be reliably used to assess habitual cravings in an Italian non-clinical sample of adults. The robustness of these results is tested by a cross-validation of the model using two independent samples. Further research is required to expand on these findings, particularly in children and adolescents.

The food craving questionnaire-trait in a bariatric surgery seeking population and ability to predict post-surgery weight loss at six months

Food cravings have been understudied in bariatric surgery patients and the Food Craving Questionnaire-Trait has not been validated in this population. Reliability and validity of the FCQ-T were examined and a regression analysis was run to determine whether or not preoperative scores on individual subscales of the instrument could predict weight loss at 6months. The FCQ-T demonstrated excellent internal consistency in bariatric surgery-seeking patients, and individual subscales measuring emotion and mood were correlated with other measures of depression and anxiety. Endorsement of binge eating or emotional eating behaviors during a clinical interview was correlated with similar subscales on the FCQ-T. Higher scores on the subscale ‘cues that may trigger food cravings’ were associated with greater weight loss at 6months post-surgery and higher scores on the subscale ‘guilt from cravings and/or giving into them’ was associated with less weight loss. Management of external cues may predict successful outcomes while emotional impact of cravings may indicate the need for further intervention to help manage specific food craving traits.