Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire – EDE-Q
A self-report questionnaire designed to assess the range, frequency, and severity of behaviors and attitudes associated with eating disorders over the past 28 days.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire – EDE-Q was developed by Christopher G. Fairburn & Sarah J. Beglin (1994). It is designed to measure Eating disorder psychopathology. The scale is intended for use with Adults and adolescents.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 36 items organized into 4 factors/subscales: Restraint, Eating Concern, Shape Concern, Weight Concern.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Restraint | 1,2,3,4,5 | 5 |
| Eating Concern | 6,7,9,15,34 | 5 |
| Shape Concern | 10,11,13,30,33,35,36 | 7 |
| Weight Concern | 12,14,29,31,32 | 5 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 0 = No days / None of the times / Not at all, 1 = 1-5 days / A few of the times / Slightly (1), 2 = 6-12 days / Less than half the times / Slightly (2), 3 = 13-15 days / Half the times / Moderately (3), 4 = 16-22 days / More than half the times / Moderately (4), 5 = 23-27 days / Most of the time / Markedly (5), 6 = Everyday / Every time / Markedly (6).
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 0 to 168. Interpretation guidelines:
- Minimal clinical significance: 0 – 27
- Mild clinical significance: 28 – 55
- Moderate clinical significance: 56 – 111
- Severe clinical significance: 112 – 168
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Cronbach's alpha typically ranges from 0.70 to 0.93 for the subscales..
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 15 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.