Variants of early‐onset restrictive eating disturbances in middle childhood. Issue 1 (10th September 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Kurz, Susanne; van Dyck, Zoé; Dremmel, Daniela; Munsch, Simone; Hilbert, Anja
• Is Part Of: International journal of eating disorders. Volume 49:Issue 1(2016)
• Page Start: 102
• Page End: 106
• Publication Date: 2015-09-10
• Subjects: early‐onset restrictive eating disturbances -- food avoidance emotional disorder -- selective eating -- functional dysphagia -- prevalence; Appetite disorders -- Periodicals; Ingestion disorders -- Periodicals; Eating disorders -- Periodicals; 616.8526
• DOI: 10.1002/eat.22461
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0276-3478

Abstract

ABSTRACT: 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. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. (Int J Eat Disord 2016; 49:102–106).