Background: Increased consumption of food that are high in energy and sugar have been pointed as a major factor in the obesity epidemic. Impaired control of food intake and the concept of food addiction has been developed as a potential contributor. Our objective was to evaluate the dimensionality and psychometric validity of diagnostic criteria for food addiction adapted from the 11 DSM-5 substance use disorder (SUD) criteria (i.e.: Food Use Disorder (FUD) criteria), and to evaluate the influence of age, gender, and body mass index (BMI).
Methods: Cross-sectional observational study including 508 participants (56.1% male; mean age 42.2) from outpatient treatment clinics for obesity or addiction disorders at time of admission. FUD diagnostic criteria were analyzed using confirmatory factor and 2-parameter item response theory analyses. Differential Item and Test Functioning analyses were performed across age, gender, and BMI.
Results: We demonstrated the one-factor dimensionality of the criteria set. The criterion "craving" presented the strongest factor loading and discrimination parameter and the second-lowest difficulty. We found some significant uniform differential item functioning for body mass index. We found some differential test functioning for gender and BMI.
Conclusions: This study reports, for the first time, the validity of a potential Food Use Disorder (derived from the 11 DSM-5 SUD criteria adapted to food) in a sample of treatment seeking adults. This has great implications both at the clinical level and in terms of public health policy in the context of the global obesity epidemic.
Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest No author reports conflicts of interest related to this work. Dr. Auriacombe reports grants from French Health Ministry Research Grant (PHRC), French Addiction Agency Research Grant (MILDT/MILDECA), Aquitaine Regional Council Research Support (CRA), not related to this study; research grants from Indivior, Camurus not related to this study, personal fees from Bouchara Recordati, Camurus, Indivior not related to this study. Dr. Serre reports grants and personal fees from French Government Addiction Agency MILDECA, not related to this study.
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