Differences in the factor structure of the Eating Attitudes Test-26 in female adolescent patients with eating disorders before and after treatment

Objective: The Eating Attitudes Test-26 (EAT-26) is considered the screening instrument of choice to identify eating disorders (ED) symptoms in clinical and community populations, showing a classical three-factor structure. This study assessed whether the factor structure of the EAT-26 in patients with ED was stable at admission and discharge from inpatient treatment. Methods: We administered the EAT-26 to 207 female adolescents with ED at both admission and discharge. Results: Factor structure of the EAT-26 at admission comprised of four factors and at discharge three factors and 15-item version of the EAT, producing two factors, was considerably more stable at both admission and discharge. Cutoff score of 23 in the EAT-15 better defined patients as improved at discharge than the cutoff score of 20 in the EAT-26. Conclusion: Different factor structures of the EAT are found in the same population of young females with ED during the acute stage of illness vs. symptomatic improvement. In addition, shorter versions of the EAT with higher cutoff scores may better differentiate between improved and not improved patients at discharge. Findings suggest that using the EAT-15 is more effective for evaluating a population with clinical characteristics of ED.