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A comparative analysis of self‐report measures of bulimia
Author(s) -
Ortega Deems F.,
Waranch H. Richard,
Maldonado A. Janelle,
Hubbard Felicity A.
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
international journal of eating disorders
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.785
H-Index - 138
eISSN - 1098-108X
pISSN - 0276-3478
DOI - 10.1002/1098-108x(198703)6:2<301::aid-eat2260060213>3.0.co;2-x
Subject(s) - binge eating , psychology , bulimia nervosa , clinical psychology , calorie , scale (ratio) , psychiatry , eating disorders , medicine , physics , quantum mechanics
Research evaluating various treatment approaches for bulimia relies heavily upon one form or another of self‐report of binges and purges. Questionnaire and summary estimates of bingeing and purging taken before and after treatment have been utilized in many cases, although daily eating diaries are now increasingly employed. The relative accuracy of these different self‐report formats has never been assessed, making it difficult to compare treatment outcomes across studies where different measures were used. In the present report participants in a 10‐week cognitive‐behavioral therapy group for bulimia maintained detailed daily eating diaries that were objectively evaluated using operational definitions of binges and purges. These diary scores were then compared with data collected via weekly summary report record sheets and the Hawkins and Clement (1980) Binge Scale Questionnaire. Results showed significant reductions in self‐reported binges, self‐reported purges, and total Binge Scale Questionnaire scores. However, binge and purge frequencies derived from objective ratings of eating diaries, questionnaire items from the Binge Scale that asked about binge frequecy and purge probability, and the number of calories consumed per binge remained essentially unchanged from before to after treatment. These results suggest that investigators/clinicians studying bulimia should use multiple measures of assessment, including objective analyses of self‐reported data using standard criteria.