An empirical evaluation of the translation to Brazilian Portuguese of the Loss of Control over Eating Scale (LOCES)

Abstract

Background: Loss of control over eating is a key feature of the most prevalent eating disorders. The Loss of Control over Eating Scale (LOCES) enables a thorough assessment of loss of control over eating. Objective: This study empirically evaluated the translation of the LOCES from English to Brazilian Portuguese. Methods: The scale was translated to Brazilian Portuguese and back translated to English in order to check accuracy of the translation. Two hundred and ninety-three medicine and nursing students, 60 males and 233 females, 18-55 years old, with mean body mass index (BMI) 23.2 kg/m2 (SD 4.1), recruited between August and December 2014, answered the Brazilian Portuguese LOCES. An exploratory factor analysis was performed. Results: Exploratory factor analysis of the Brazilian Portuguese LOCES showed three distinct factors of the loss of control over eating (disgust/negative sensations, cognitive experiences/ dissociation, and “positive” effects) as well as moderate consistency with previous reports of exploratory factor analysis of the English version. Discussion: This study showed satisfactory translation of the LOCES from English to Brazilian Portuguese, which is now ready for further validation.