A study of the validity of the eating disorder examination.

Abstract

The Eating Disorder Examination (EDE), an investigator-based interview, and the questionnaire version of the EDE (EDE-Q) are considered the preeminent assessments of eating disorder symptoms. Despite their status as gold-standard eating disorder assessments, research on the psychometric properties of these measures is limited. The current studies aimed to enhance these data, specifically with regard to the convergence of the EDE and EDE-Q and the validity of the EDE in the assessment of binge eating. For the first study, a meta-analysis of 15 studies on the convergent validity of the EDE and EDE-Q using correlation coefficients and Cohen's d was conducted. The results demonstrated convergence between the EDE and EDE-Q for the assessment of cognitive symptoms and compensatory behaviors, but limited convergence for the assessment of binge eating. A second study compared the frequency of binge eating recalled on the EDE to that reported in Daily Food Records (DFRs) by 34 participants. The results demonstrated convergence between the EDE and DFRs for the assessment of Objective Bulimic Episodes and Total binge frequency in Month 1. These studies suggest that the EDE and EDE-Q assess similar constructs, but indicate that they should not be used interchangeably. Additionally, the data provide preliminary support for the use of the EDE in the assessment of binge eating during the past month.