Psychometric properties of the fear of food measure in Japanese women.

PURPOSE: The aim of the present study was to investigate the psychometric properties of the fear of food measure (FOFM) in Japanese women.

METHODS: This study was a cross-sectional, observational, and multicenter study conducted at the University of Tokyo and Kyushu University. Participants were comprised of 169 healthy women and 149 patients with eating disorders. First, the present study explored the factor structure of FOFM in Japanese women using exploratory factor analyses. Then, the Cronbach's alpha and McDonald's omega were calculated to assess reliability. Concurrent validity was examined by calculating correlation coefficients with the Eating Attitudes Test, negative affect of Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Additionally, the Wilcoxon rank-sum test was used to compare scores between the healthy control and patient group.

RESULTS: The final model had four subscales. The subscales, thus, had high reliability and showed significant positive correlations with the questionnaires. The scores of subscales in the patient group were significantly higher than those in the healthy control group.

CONCLUSIONS: The FOFM had a four-factor structure in Japanese women. Its reliability and validity were verified and it could be used as a tool to assess fear of food.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III, case-control analytic study.