Variants of early onset restrictive eating disturbances in middle childhood.
OBJECTIVE This study sought to determine the factor structure of the newly developed self report screening questionnaire Eating Disturbances in Youth Questionnaire (EDY Q) as well as to report the distribution of variants of early onset restrictive eating disturbances characteristic of avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) in a middle childhood population sample. METHOD Using the EDY Q, a total of 1,444 children aged 8 13 years were screened in elementary schools in Switzerland via self report. The factor analysis of the 12 items covering ARFID related symptoms was performed using a principal component analysis (PCA) RESULTS The PCA showed a four factor solution, with clear allocation to the scales covering three variants of early onset restrictive eating disturbances and weight problems. Inadequate overall food intake was reported by 19.3% of the children, a limited accepted amount of food by 26.1% and food avoidance based on a specific underlying fear by 5.0% DISCUSSION The postulated factor structure of the EDY Q was confirmed, further supporting the existence of distinct variants of early onset restrictive eating disturbances. Avoidant/restrictive eating behavior seems to be a common experience in middle childhood, but results have to be confirmed using validated interviews.
The International journal of eating disorders