Evaluation of the psychometric performance of the SCOFF questionnaire in a Mexican young adult sample

Abstract

Objective: To examine the psychometric performance of the SCOFF, a brief screening instrument for eating disorders (ED). Materials and methods. Mexican university applicants (n = 3594, 55.7% female, M age = 18.1 years) completed self-report measures and a health screen. Results: Confirmatory factor analyses revealed one factor for females. However a bifactor model fits better for males and females. Reliability was lower for females (KR20 = .49) than males (KR20 = .59). More females (24.2%) presented risk for ED (SCOFF > 2) than males (11.2%). Nomological validity indicated that risk for ED in young women was associated with demographic (e.g., parental education), psychological (e.g., depression, weight management efficacy), physical (e.g., BMI), and social (e.g., family conflict) indicators in conceptually coherent ways. Fewer variables were significant for males. Conclusion: Although the SCOFF may be a useful ED screen in Mexico, further research must examine its criterion validity, sensitivity, and specificity.