Publication:

Adaptation, validation and reliability of the Spanish version of eating pattern inventory for children EPIC-C in a sample of Mexican adolescents

Background Eating behavior represents an important public health issue. This study shows the results of the adaptation and validation of the questionnaire eating pattern inventory for children (EPI-C) in the Spanish version, what can be very useful in Spanish-speaking contexts.

Methods The adaptation and validation of the questionnaire was carried out with a statistically representative sample of 417 adolescents of Mexico City. Different statistical analysis were applied.

Results The analysis of the adapted version reproduced the same factorial structure and psychometric properties as the original questionnaire. The adapted inventory consisted of 20 items, formed by 4 subscales dietary restraint (8 items), external eating (6 items), parental pressure to eat (3 items), and emotional eating (3 items) which explained the 68,8% of the total variable.

Conclusions The scores of the subscales were associated with the body weight of the adolescents with normal weight and overweight-obesity, with the level of the anxiety state, with the emotional eating and with the dietary restraints which suggests initial evidence of its validity and utility in Spanish speaking countries.