Yale Food Addiction Scale For Children Research Articles

Validating the Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire for Children (DEBQ-C) among Korean children and adolescents with high weight

BackgroundUsing reliable measurement tools is becoming increasingly important as the prevalence of obesity among children increases in Korea. The Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire for Children (DEBQ-C) measures three eating behaviors associated with overeating. This study aims to validate the DEBQ-C for use among Korean children and adolescents with high body weight. It examines the psychometric features of the Korean translation of the DEBQ-C and investigates the relationship between the subscale scores of the DEBQ-C and the weight status of participants (categorized into overweight, obese, and morbidly obese).MethodsA total of 233 children and adolescents (mean age: 11.4 ± 1.6 years) completed the questionnaire. The study verified the factor structure of the DEBQ-C using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and estimated its internal consistency with Cronbach’s alpha. For convergent validity, it employed Pearson’s correlation coefficient to assess relationships between the three eating behaviors of the DEBQ-C and the number of food addiction symptoms of the Yale Food Addiction Scale for Children (YFAS-C). Lastly, it examined the relationship between DEBQ-C scores and weight status via multinomial logistic regression analysis.ResultsThe three-factor model demonstrated goodness-of-fit (χ2 = 253, df = 167, χ2/df = 1.515, p < 0.001, CFI = 0.944; TLI = 0.937; RMSEA = 0.047). The internal consistency of the three eating behaviors was also satisfactory (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.707–0.890). The emotional and external eating subscales of the DEBQ-C were positively correlated with the number of symptoms of food addiction of the YFAS-C. Emotional (OR: 2.008; 95% CI 1.973–2.043) and external (OR: 2.074; 95% CI 2.029–2.119) eating were positively associated with obesity status.ConclusionThe results suggest that the Korean version of the DEBQ-C is suitable for the examination of problematic eating behaviors in Korean children and adolescents with high body weight.

Psychometric validation of the Yale Food Addiction Scale for Children (YFAS-C) in Spanish in a Mexican population

Introduction: Mexico is one of the countries with the highest prevalence of childhood obesity worldwide. The increase of addictive behaviors at an early age is a possible cause of its development. The Yale Food Addiction Scale for Children (YFAS-C) allows identifying children with food addictive behaviors. Objective: to validate the YFAS-C scale in Spanish in a population sample of Mexican children and adolescents. Material and methods: an exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis was performed. The study sample consisted of 448 children from seven to 14 years of age. The first stage involved translation into Spanish; a second stage involved the solution of questions with discrepancies; then, a reverse translation into the original language and a review by experts on the subject of eating disorders in pediatric population were performed; and in the last stage, a pilot test in order to culturally adapt the instrument and the evaluation of the psychometric properties was carried out. Results: using the principal component extraction method, four components were identified that explained 47.1 % of the sample variance. In the confirmatory factor analysis, it was found that the goodness-of-fit indices met the required values (CFI = 0.906: GFI = 0.932; AGFI = 0.915, SRMS = 0.007 and RMSEA = 0.043). Conclusions: a validated Spanish version of the YFAS-C scale was obtained for Mexican children and adolescents to assess food addiction.

Socio-Demographic, Self-Control, Bullying, Parenting, and Sleep as Proximal Factors Associated with Food Addiction among Adolescents.

Adolescence is considered an important period of neurodevelopment. It is a time for the emergence of psychosocial vulnerabilities, including symptoms of depression, eating disorders, and increased engagement in unhealthy eating behaviours. Food addiction (FA) in adolescents is an area of study where there has been substantial growth. However, to date, limited studies have considered what demographic characteristics of adolescents may predispose them to endorse greater symptoms of FA. Studies have found a variety of factors that often cluster with and may influence an adolescent's eating behaviour such as sleep, level of self-control, and parenting practices, as well as bullying. Therefore, this study investigated a range of socio-demographic, trait, mental health, and lifestyle-related profiles (including self-control, parenting, bullying, and sleep) as proximal factors associated with symptoms of FA, as assessed via the Yale Food Addiction Scale for Children (YFAS-C) in a large sample of Australian adolescents. Following data cleaning, the final analysed sample included 6587 students (age 12.9 years ± 0.39; range 10.9-14.9 years), with 50.05% identifying as male (n = 3297), 48.5% as female (n = 3195), 1.02% prefer not to say (n = 67), and 0.43% as non-binary (n = 28). Self-control was found to be the most significant predictor of total FA symptom score, followed by female gender, sleep quality, and being a victim of bullying. Universal prevention programs should therefore aim to address these factors to help reduce the prevalence or severity of FA symptoms within early adolescent populations.

Cross-cultural validation of the Yale Food Addiction Scale for Children (YFAS-c) into the Spanish language to assess food addiction in the pediatric population

La escala The Yale Food Addiction Scale Children (YFAS-C) es la primera medida diseñada para evaluar la adicción a la comida en población pediátrica. Sin embargo, no existe una adaptación de esta herramienta al idioma español. Se realiza la traducción, adaptación y validación metodológica de la herramienta YFAS-C al idioma español. En primer lugar, traductores cegados e independientes traducen y adaptan la escala, y a continuación se estima su adaptabilidad y concordancia (kappa de Cohen). Posteriormente, un comité de expertos evalúa la idoneidad cultural del cuestionario, la representatividad y la validez aparente y de contenido. Se ha calculado la Razón de Validez de Contenido (CVR), su versión modificada por Tristán (CVR’) y el Índice de Validez de Contenido (CVI). Finalmente, se compara la comprensión lingüística por grupos de edad en una muestra diana mediante el test chi-cuadrado. La dificultad en la adaptabilidad transcultural del cuestionario entre traductores fue baja (media: 1,96, DE: 1,40; concordancia kappa: 0,32; p = 0,01). La evaluación de la herramienta por parte del comité de expertos obtuvo índices altos de validez de contenido: claridad (n = 0,83), precisión (n = 0,83), comprensión (n = 0,84) y relevancia de contenido (n = 0,83). Del total de 25 ítems, solo un ítem presenta dificultades en la compresión por grupos de edad (p = 0,02). Se ha obtenido una versión validada, traducida y adaptada al idioma español (S-YFAS-C) que permitirá evaluar la adicción a la comida en niños y niñas de habla castellana. The scale The Yale Food Addiction Scale Children (YFAS-c) is the first measure designed to evaluate food addiction in children. However, this tool is not adapted to the Spanish language. A translation, adaptation and methodological validation of the YFAS-c tool into the Spanish language is carried out. Initially, the scale is translated and adapted through blinded and independent translators, estimating their adaptability and agreement (Cohen's Kappa). Subsequently, the questionnaire is submitted to a committee of experts to evaluate the cultural suitability, representativeness and face and content validity using the content validity ratio (CVR), its version modified by Tristán (CVR’) and the Content Validity Index (CVI). Finally, linguistic comprehension is evaluated in a target sample using the Chi-square test. Difficulty in cross-cultural adaptability of the questionnaire among translators was low (mean: 1.96, DE: 1.40; Kappa agreement: 0.32, P = .01). The evaluation of the tool by the expert committee obtained high indices: clarity ( n = 0.83), precision ( n = 0.83), comprehension ( n = 0.84) and content relevance ( n = 0.83). Of the total of 25 items, only one item presented difficulties in understanding by age groups ( P = .02). A validated version, translated and adapted to the Spanish language (S-YFAS-c) has been obtained that will be able to evaluate food addiction in Spanish-speaking children.

Assessment of Obesity, Psychiatric Comorbidity and Food Addiction in Children and Adolescents with Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder

Objective: There are studies showing that there is a significant relationship between ADHD and obesity. However the number of studies conducted on this topic is limited in our country. It is aimed to evaluate obesity frequency, distribution of psychiatric comorbidity and food addiction in children and adolescents with ADHD who applied to our outpatient clinic. Methods: Our sample size was planned to represent Ankara city and power analysis revealed that a sample of 369 individuals would be sufficient for the representation. Our sample consisted of 400 children aged between 8-16 years who applied to our clinic between June 15, 2016 and June 15, 2017 and diagnosed as ADHD. All cases were administered a semi-structured clinical assessment interview (K-SADS-PL) and a sociodemographic data form. Body mass index (BMI) of all subjects was calculated. The Conners Parent Rating Scale, The Conners Teacher Rating Scale and the Yale Food Addiction Scale for Children (YFAS-C) were used. According to age and sex, weight percentiles between 85-94 percentiles was defined as overweight, ≥95 percentile was defined as obese. SPSS 17.0 was used for statistical analysis, p

Food addiction, executive function and mood in adolescents with obesity seeking treatment

BackgroundThe relationships between food addiction, executive functions and mood in adolescence are not well-understood. This study examines differences in executive functioning, depression symptoms and perceived stress among adolescents with obesity with- and without food addiction. MethodsA total of 110 adolescents with obesity (74 females; age = 15.59 ± 1.3 y; 67% Hispanic; 74% public insurance) completed the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-2 (BRIEF-2), the Yale Food Addiction Scale for children (YFAS-c), the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale (CES-DC). Chi-squared and Fisher's exact tests were used to evaluate differences in BRIEF-2, CES-DC and PSS scores between participants with and without food addiction. A logistic regression model assessed the associations between executive dysfunction, depression and stress on food addiction individually. Multiple logistic regression was utilized to further examine the association between executive dysfunction and food addiction when accounting for depression and stress. ResultsMore than a third of participants (34.5%) met the criteria for food addiction. Females were 2.89 times more likely than males to have food addiction (95th%CI = 1.12–7.46, p = 0.03). Participants with FA had significantly higher BRIEF-2 T-scores (all p < 0.05) and higher PSS and CES-DC scores (all p < 0.05). Multiple logistic regression analysis showed depression was strongly correlated with FA when controlling for executive dysfunction and stress (p = 0.010). ConclusionsAmong obesity treatment-seeking adolescents, youths with food addiction displayed greater impairments in executive functioning and higher levels of stress and depressive symptoms than adolescents without food addiction. Prospective studies are needed to determine how this behavioral phenotype helps predict intervention outcomes.

Validity of the Yale Food Addiction Scale for Children (YFAS-C): Classical test theory and item response theory of the Persian YFAS-C

PurposeTo examine whether the child/adolescent version of the Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS-C) is valid to assess the Iranian adolescents who are overweight.MethodsAfter using an internationally standardized method to translate the YFAS-C into Persian, 1186 overweight/obese adolescents aged between 13 and 18 years participated in the present study [666 males; mean age = 15.5 (SD = 1.9) years; zBMI = 2.5 (1.0) kg/m2]. All the participants completed the Persian YFAS-C alongside Persian versions of the following scales: Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDEQ), Clinical Impairment Assessment (CIA), Binge Eating Scale (BES), Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26), and Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale (DASS-21).ResultsAt the scale level, confirmatory factor analysis verified the single-factor structure of the Persian YFAS-C. Additionally, the Persian YFAS-C had promising properties regarding internal consistency (KR20 = 0.81), test–retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.83), separation reliability (person separation reliability = 0.77; item separation reliability = 0.98), and separation index (person separation index = 2.04; item separation index = 8.01). At the item level, all items had satisfactory properties in factor loadings, corrected item-total correlation, test–retest reliability, and infit and outfit mean square. Moreover, no substantial differential item functioning (DIF) was found concerning gender (male vs. female) or weight status (overweight vs. obesity). Significant and moderate correlations were found between the Persian YFAS-C and other psychometric scales assessing eating symptomatology and general psychopathology (r = 0.352 to 0.484).ConclusionThe Persian YFAS-C is a valid instrument that assists healthcare providers in assessing food addiction among Iranian adolescents.Level of evidenceLevel V, cross-sectional descriptive study.

1274-P: Prevalence of Addictive-Like Eating in Hispanic Adolescents with Obesity Seeking Weight Management Treatment

Background: There is a growing body of literature exploring food addiction (FA) in adolescents with obesity and how it impacts treatment outcomes. Several studies have evaluated the prevalence of FA in youth with obesity as measured by the Yale Food Addiction Scale for children (YFAS-c) and rates vary from 4-22%. The rates of obesity in Hispanic youth is reported to be higher than in other ethnic groups however there is a paucity of literature exploring the prevalence of FA in this population. Due to our geographic location and our majority Hispanic patient population, we examined 1) the prevalence of FA in Hispanic adolescents with obesity and 2) the association between FA and demographic characteristics. Methods: Baseline data from a RCT on behavioral weight management interventions was used. Participants who self-identified as Hispanic, were 14-18 years of age, and with a BMI &amp;gt;95th% met criteria. Fisher’s exact test was used to assess the differences between adolescents with positive and negative YFAS-c scores and demographic characteristics. Results: In a sample of 59 Hispanic youth, 29% met criteria for FA. There was no significant difference in age, gender, or household income between adolescents with positive YFAS-c at baseline compared to those with negative scores. Conclusions: Hispanic youth with obesity have higher rates of FA than previous prevalence reports. This information is essential to consider prior to implementation of a weight management program as it may impact adherence, retention, and ultimately weight outcomes. Baseline behavioral phenotyping may be a strategy to ensure adolescents are receiving the services they require in conjunction with participation in a weight management program. These findings can help inform providers of the importance of screening for FA prior to intervention administration and possibly modifying the intervention content to address addictive like eating behaviors. Disclosure J. Gonzalez: None. C. Fink: None. C. Wee: None. E. Hegedus: None. K. Lopez: None. A. Vidmar: None. Funding eHealth International (CHLA 000193)

한국판 청소년 음식중독척도(YFAS-C)의 타당화 연구

한국판 청소년 음식중독척도(YFAS-C)의 타당화 연구

Validity and Reliability of a Korean Version of Yale Food Addiction Scale for Children (YFAS-C)

This study evaluated the psychometric properties of the Korean version of Yale Food Addiction Scale for Children (YFAS-C). Participants were 419 young adolescent students (11~15 years old). The content validity of the expert group was calculated as the content validity index (CVI) after the translation and reverse translation process of the 25 items of the YFAS-C. The multitrait-multimethod matrix (MTMM) method was used to verify the construct validity; the generalized linear model (GLM) was used to evaluate the concurrent and incremental validity. Reliability was calculated as Kuder-Richardson-20 (KR-20) and Spearman-Brown coefficients. The CVI of the 25 items was greater than the item-level CVI .80 and the scale-level CVI .90. The Korean version of YFAS-C had verified convergent validity in emotional eating and external eating and discriminant validity in restrained eating. In addition, it had verified concurrent validity in emotional eating and external eating. Finally the incremental validity of the Korean version of YFAS-C was statistically significant on BMI. Reliability was KR-20 α=.69 and the Spearman-Brown coefficient was .64. The Korean version of YFAS-C is a valid and reliable scale for measuring the severity of food addiction; it can be a useful scale for preventing obesity by predicting food addiction early.

Food addiction prevalence and concurrent validity in African American adolescents with obesity.

Food addiction, measured by the Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS), has been associated with obesity, eating-related problems (e.g., bingeing), and problematic consumption of highly processed foods. Studies on this topic have primarily examined adult samples with an overrepresentation of White individuals, and little is known about addictive-like eating in adolescents, particularly African American adolescents who exhibit high rates of obesity and eating pathology. The current study examined the prevalence of food addiction and its convergent validity with percent overweight, eating-related problems, and self-reported dietary intake in a sample of 181 African American adolescents with obesity. Approximately 10% of participants met for food addiction, measured by the YFAS for children (YFAS-C). YFAS-C scores were most strongly associated with objective binge episodes (OBE), though significant relationships were also observed with objective overeating episodes (OOE), percent overweight relative to age- and sex-adjusted body mass index (BMI), and, more modestly, subjective binge episodes (SBE). YFAS-C scores were also related to greater consumption of all nutrient characteristics of interest (calories, fat, saturated fat, trans fat, carbohydrates, sugar, added sugar), though most strongly with trans fat, a type of fat found most frequently in highly processed foods. These findings suggest that the combination of exhibiting a loss of control while consuming an objectively large amount of food seems to be most implicated in food addiction for African American adolescents with obesity. The present work also provides evidence that individuals with food addiction may consume elevated quantities of highly processed foods, relative to those without addictive-like eating. (PsycINFO Database Record

The prevalence of food addiction in a large sample of adolescents and its association with addictive substances

The prevalence of overweight and obesity is increasing, due to, among other factors, increased availability of highly palatable food (food high in fat, salt and/or sugar). It has been proposed that certain foods and/or eating behaviours may be addictive, to a degree comparable to substances of abuse. The Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS) measures ‘food addiction’ by translating the diagnostic criteria for substance use disorder to eating behaviour. So far, only a few studies have examined the prevalence of food addiction in children with the YFAS for children (YFAS-C). Large-scale studies, especially among adolescents, are lacking. Adolescence is of particular interest because it is a period wherein unhealthy eating behaviours or addictive tendencies are likely to develop. The current study examines the prevalence of food addiction using the YFAS-C in a large group of Dutch adolescents (N = 2653) aged 14–21 years. With Generalized Estimation Equation (GEE) analysis we tested the relationship between food addiction symptoms and smoking, cannabis use, alcohol use, and sugar intake through drinks, while controlling for gender, age, educational level and weight class. In the total sample 2.6% met the criteria for a food addiction ‘diagnosis’, and the average symptom count was 1.0 (SD = 1.3, range 0–7). Symptoms of food addiction were positively associated with smoking, alcohol use, cannabis use and sugar intake. We propose that future studies focus on possible genetic/(neuro)biological mechanisms involved in both food addiction and substance use and that longitudinal designs are needed to examine possible causal pathways.

Food Addiction: A Barrier for Effective Weight Management for Obese Adolescents.

Findings from studies of food addiction in adults suggest those with food addiction are less successful in weight-loss interventions. Little is known about food addiction in obesity treatment-seeking adolescents; therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore the prevalence of food addiction and correlates of food addiction symptoms in obese adolescents entering an outpatient, weight management program. Obese adolescents (n = 26) were administered the Yale Food Addiction Scale for Children (YFAS-C), measures of appetitive responsiveness, and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) before and following a 12-week, outpatient, behavioral weight management program. Descriptive statistics and correlations between YFAS-C symptoms and study variables were performed and further examined with linear regression. Baseline differences were compared between those meeting criteria for food addiction to those who did not (independent t-tests) and pre-postweight management program changes were examined (paired t-tests). 30.7% met criteria for food addiction and 50% reported ≥3 symptoms. Number of YFAS-C symptoms was correlated with appetitive responsiveness (r = 0.57, p < 0.05) and inversely correlated with all domains of HRQOL (r = 0.47-0.53, p < 0.05). Attrition rate was higher in adolescents with food addiction compared to those without (62.5% vs. 44.4%, p < 0.05). Adolescents with food addiction or with a higher number of food addiction symptoms may warrant additional resources to support adherence to and retention with a weight management program. Implementing screening measures for food addiction before enrolling in a weight management program may be an effective strategy to identify adolescents who may benefit from adjunct modalities.

The association of addictive-like eating with food intake in children

ObjectivesThe potential role of an addictive process in problematic eating is a growing area of interest and debate. Children are more vulnerable to the negative effects of addictive substances than adults and may be at increased risk for addictive-like eating behavior. No prior study has evaluated the association of addictive-like eating with objectively measured eating behavior in adults or children. We examined the association between “food addiction” and observed food consumption among children and whether age moderated this association. MethodSeventy children participated in an observed dinner meal, completed a dietary recall interview, and answered the Yale Food Addiction Scale for Children (YFAS-C), a questionnaire assessing symptoms of “food addiction”. Children's total calories ordered, calories consumed at dinner, calories consumed post-dinner, and a total of calories consumed at dinner and post-dinner were calculated along with their BMI percentile. We used generalized estimated equation models to investigate the relationship between the YFAS-C and food consumption. ResultsElevated “food addiction” symptoms, but not BMI percentile, were positively associated with an increased amount of calories consumed at dinner and post-dinner. Age significantly moderated the relationship between YFAS-C and caloric intake, with only younger children exhibiting this association. ConclusionsAs the first study of objectively measured eating behavior, we found addictive-like eating scores in children were positively associated with the total amount of calories consumed. Among younger children, “food addiction” was more strongly associated with the total calories consumed than BMI percentile, highlighting the importance of assessing behavioral phenotypes when evaluating caloric intake. This association between addictive-like eating and caloric intake among younger, but not older children may be due to differences in inhibitory control and dietary restraint.