Cross-cultural adaptation and evaluation of the psychometric properties of the emotional appetite questionnaire among Portuguese-speaking women

Abstract

Obesity and its determinants have been the topic of broad research. Emotional appetite, defined as the tendency to overeat in response to negative emotions, is among these determinants. Some instruments were created to measure this construct, the Emotional Appetite Questionnaire (EMAQ) being one of them. The objective of this study was to perform cross-cultural adaptation and evaluation of psychometric properties of EMAQ among Portuguese-speaking women. Methodological research was carried out by translation, back-translation and cross-cultural adaptation of the instrument. A study was conducted with 450 women, through cross-cultural adaptation and evaluation of the instrument’s psychometric properties (validity and reliability). The internal consistency of the instrument was measured using Cronbach’s Alpha and stability was checked by means of test-retest. The instrument showed good internal consistency and intraclass correlation. The interviewees did not mention changes in food consumption linked to positive emotions and situations. There was a tendency towards reduction in emotional appetite when subjected to negative emotions and situations. The Portuguese EMAQ (QUEAPEM) was considered a reliable instrument, easy to apply and administer, to assess emotional appetite in the Portuguese language.