Assessing hedonic hunger among Chinese adults using the Power of Food Scale: Psychometric properties and cross-cultural invariance between China and the US. (January 2023)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Xiao, Han; Song, Jianwen; Han, Xinni; Ye, Zhengyan; Serier, Kelsey N.; Belon, Katherine E.; Loor, Jamie M.; Smith, Jane Ellen; Cui, Tianxiang; He, Jinbo
• Is Part Of: Eating behaviors. Volume 48(2023)
• Publication Date: 2023-01
• Subjects: Power of Food Scale -- Chinese version -- Validation -- Hedonic hunger -- Cross-culture; Eating disorders -- Periodicals; Compulsive eating -- Periodicals; Obesity -- Periodicals; 616.8526
• DOI: 10.1016/j.eatbeh.2023.101703
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1471-0153

Abstract

Abstract: Hedonic hunger refers to food consumption for pleasure without biological energy deficits. The Power of Food Scale (PFS) is a well-developed self-report instrument assessing hedonic hunger. The present study aimed to translate and validate the PFS into simplified Chinese (C-PFS) and examine its psychometric properties among Chinese adults. A total of 773 participants (51.1 % men, M age = 24.98 years, SD = 6.10) were recruited in the present study from college and community populations. Consistent with the previous studies, confirmatory factor analysis showed that the C-PFS had three factors: food present, food available, and food tasted. In addition, a Cronbach's alpha of 0.92 and an ICC of 0.86 suggested that the C-PFS has good internal consistency and test-retest reliability. In terms of convergent validity, the scores of C-PFS correlated significantly with disordered eating symptomatology and loss of control over eating. Measurement invariance tests showed that the C-PFS was invariant across gender and sample source groups in the Chinese sample. In addition, a U.S. sample of 490 college students (26.6 % men, M age = 21.41 years, SD = 5.45) was used to test the measurement invariance across countries, and results suggested a partial invariance across college students from China and those from the U.S. In conclusion, the C-PFS can be a useful tool for measuring hedonic hunger among adults in China, and there may be cultural differences in the measurement of the PFS in college students across China and the U.S. Highlights: The Power of Food Scale was translated into simplified Chinese (C-PFS). The factor structure of the C-PFS is consistent with previous research. The C-PFS demonstrated good reliability and convergent validity. The C-PFS was invariant by gender and sample source. Cultural differences in the PFS were found between Chinese and U.S college students.