Eating-disordered behavior in adolescent boys: eating disorder examination questionnaire norms

<p><strong>Objective:</strong> We sought to provide normative data for the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q) for adolescent boys.</p> <p><strong>Method:</strong> The EDE-Q was completed by 531 boys aged 12–18 years recruited from a number of schools in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) region of Australia. Data for 1,135 female adolescents, recruited as part of the same research project, are provided for comparative purposes.</p> <p><strong>Results: </strong> Scores on each the EDE-Q subscales and, with the exception of excessive exercise, the prevalence of each of the eating disorder behaviors assessed, were substantially higher among girls than among boys. Still, 6.0% of boys reported regular episodes of objective binge eating, 8.3% reported regular episodes of loss of control eating, 5.3% reported regular excessive exercise and 4.9% reported overvaluation of weight or shape. Eating-disordered behavior was more common among older adolescents than among younger adolescents and this was the case for both boys and girls. Reliability coefficients for the EDE-Q subscales were marginally lower in boys (0.70–0.94) than in girls (0.84–0.97).</p> <p><strong>Conclusions: </strong> The EDE-Q appears to be suitable for use in adolescent boys, with the qualification that eating and weight/ shape control behaviors that are largely confined to males may not be adequately assessed. The lack of assessment of subjective binge eating episodes may also be problematic. There is a need for research addressing whether and to what extent different features are associated with distress and disability in boys as well as the validity of the EDE-Q assessment of these features when compared with interview assessment.</p>