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Psychometric proprieties of the Italian version of the questionnaire on eating and weight patterns (QEWP-5) and its accuracy in screening for binge-eating disorder in patients seeking treatment for obesity

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Abstract

Purpose

The aim of the current study was to assess the psychometric proprieties of the Italian version of the latest edition of the Questionnaire of Eating and Weight Patterns (QEWP-5), evaluating its accuracy in screening patients with binge-eating disorder (BED).

Methods

The Italian translation of the tool was administered to 604 Italian-speaking adults seeking treatment for obesity. The clinical sample was given the Eating Disorder Examination interview to assess for BED. Participants also completed the Symptom Checklist 90, the Obesity-Related Well-Being and the Binge-Eating Scale.

Results

The sensitivity of the QEWP-5 was 0.49, and its specificity 0.93. The positive and negative predictive values were 0.34 and 0.96, respectively. Agreement between QEWP-5 and EDE using Cohen’s kappa was 0.35. Nevertheless, among patients with an EDE diagnosis of no BED, those ‘QEWP-5-positive’ for BED displayed higher eating-disorder and general psychopathology scores, poorer weight-related quality of life, and greater severity of binge-eating behaviours than those ‘QEWP-5-negative’ for BED.

Conclusion

Despite the low concordance with the EDE interview in terms of detecting the presence of BED, the QEWP-5 may be a useful initial screening tool for the clinical assessment of adults seeking treatment for obesity.

Level of evidence

Level V, Descriptive study.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Marsha Marcus, Ph.D. for her help in the translation process of the Italian version of the QEWP-5.

Funding

No funding was received.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Eating and Weight Disorders, Villa Garda Hospital, Via Monte Baldo, 89, 37016, Garda, Verona, Italy

    Simona Calugi, Deborah Fasoli, Francesca Travagnin & Riccardo Dalle Grave

  2. Department of Educational Sciences (DISFOR), University of Genoa, Corso Andrea Podestà,2, 16129, Genoa, Ge, Italy

    Cecilia Serena Pace & Stefania Muzi

Authors
  1. Simona Calugi
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  2. Cecilia Serena Pace
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Correspondence to Simona Calugi.

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Calugi, S., Pace, C.S., Muzi, S. et al. Psychometric proprieties of the Italian version of the questionnaire on eating and weight patterns (QEWP-5) and its accuracy in screening for binge-eating disorder in patients seeking treatment for obesity. Eat Weight Disord 25, 1739–1745 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40519-019-00818-1

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