Assessing the clinical utility of the Eating Beliefs Questionnaire : results from receiver operating characteristic curve analysis with a clinical sample

The Eating Beliefs Questionnaire (EBQ) is a valid and reliable self-report tool measuring positive and negative beliefs about binge eating. This study sought to further investigate the clinical utility of the EBQ using a clinical binge eating sample and a healthy control comparison group. Clinical participants were 74 individuals seeking treatment for eating disorders: 38 with bulimia nervosa and 36 with binge eating disorder. Healthy controls were 114 individuals recruited from the general community. Participants all completed a test battery that included the EBQ. Diagnoses of clinical participants were confirmed using the semi-structured interview, the Eating Disorders Examination, administered by a trained clinician. The EBQ and its subscales showed good internal consistency, and significant differences between the clinical and nonclinical groups were observed for EBQ total and subscales scores, but not between the two clinical groups. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses revealed optimal cutoff scores for the EBQ, which demonstrated excellent sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values. Results from this study provide further evidence in support of the EBQ's psychometric properties. Clinical cutoff scores can be used to assess severity of binge eating-related cognitions in both research and clinical settings.