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. 2017 Mar;62(3):199-210.
doi: 10.1177/0706743716673320. Epub 2016 Oct 8.

Validation of the French Version of the DSM-5 Yale Food Addiction Scale in a Nonclinical Sample

Paul Brunault  1   2   3 , Robert Courtois  2   3 , Ashley N Gearhardt  4 , Philippe Gaillard  2   5   6   7 , Kevin Journiac  7 , Sarah Cathelain  3 , Christian Réveillère  3 , Nicolas Ballon  1   2   6   7
Affiliations

Validation of the French Version of the DSM-5 Yale Food Addiction Scale in a Nonclinical Sample

Paul Brunault et al. Can J Psychiatry. 2017 Mar.

Abstract
in English, French

Objective: The Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS) is the only questionnaire that assesses food addiction (FA) based on substance dependence criteria in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), Fourth Edition, Text Revision. Following recent updating of addiction criteria, a new DSM-5 version (YFAS 2.0) has been developed. Our study tested the psychometric properties of the French YFAS 2.0 in a nonclinical population.

Method: We assessed 330 nonclinical participants for FA (French YFAS 2.0), eating behaviour, and eating disorder (Binge Eating Scale, Emotional Overeating Questionnaire, Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire-R18, Questionnaire on Eating and Weight Patterns-Revised, Eating Disorder Diagnostic Scale). We tested the scale's factor structure (confirmatory factor analysis based on 11 diagnostic criteria), internal consistency, and construct and incremental validity.

Results: Prevalence of FA was 8.2%. Our results supported a 1-factor structure similar to the US version. In both its diagnostic and symptom count versions, the YFAS 2.0 had good internal consistency (Kuder-Richardson alpha was 0.83) and was associated with body mass index (BMI), binge eating, uncontrolled and emotional eating, binge eating disorder, and cognitive restraint. FA predicted BMI above and beyond binge eating frequency. Females had a higher prevalence of FA than males but not more FA symptoms.

Conclusions: We validated a psychometrically sound French version of the YFAS 2.0 in a nonclinical population, in both its symptom count and diagnostic versions. Future studies should investigate psychometric properties of this questionnaire in clinical populations potentially at risk for FA (that is, patients with obesity, diabetes, hypertension, or other metabolic syndrome risk factors).

Objectif:: L’échelle d’addiction à l’alimentation de Yale (YFAS) est le seul questionnaire qui évalue l’addiction à l’alimentation (AA) selon les critères de dépendance aux substances du Manuel diagnostique et statistique des troubles mentaux (DSM), 4e édition, texte révisé. Suite à la mise à jour récente des critères DSM-5 de trouble addictif, une nouvelle version (YFAS 2.0) a été mise au point. Notre étude a testé les propriétés psychométriques de la version française de la YFAS 2.0 dans une population non clinique.

Méthode:: Nous avons évalué 330 participants (population non clinique) pour l’AA (YFAS 2.0 française), et des mesures de comportement alimentaire (versions françaises des échelles suivantes : Binge Eating Scale, Emotional Overeating Questionnaire, Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire-R18, Questionnaire on Eating and Weight Patterns-Revised, Eating Disorder Diagnostic Scale). Nous avons testé la structure factorielle de l’échelle (analyse factorielle confirmatoire basée sur les 11 critères diagnostiques DSM-5), la consistance interne, sa validité de construit et incrémentielle.

Résultats:: La prévalence de l’AA était de 8,2%. Nos résultats corroboraient une structure unifactoriellle semblable à celle de la version américaine. Tant dans sa version diagnostique que dans celle du nombre de symptômes, la YFAS 2.0 avait une bonne consistance interne (l’alpha de Kuder-Richardson était de 0,83), et était associée à l’indice de masse corporelle (IMC), les mesures de comportement boulimique, l’alimentation incontrôlée et émotionnelle, l’hyperphagie boulimique, et la restriction cognitive. L’AA prédisait l’IMC de manière significativement plus importante que la fréquence des crises de boulimie. Les femmes avaient une prévalence de l’AA plus élevée que celle des hommes mais pas plus de symptômes d’AA.

Conclusions:: Nous avons validé la version française psychométriquement fiable de la YFAS 2.0 dans une population non clinique, tant dans sa version diagnostique que dans celle du nombre de symptômes. Les futures études devraient se pencher sur les propriétés psychométriques de ce questionnaire dans des populations cliniques potentiellement à risque d’AA (c.-à-d., des patients souffrant d’obésité, de diabète, d’hypertension ou d’autres facteurs de risque de syndrome métabolique).

Keywords: Yale Food Addiction Scale 2.0; addictions; addictive disorders; behavioral addictions; binge eating; eating disorders; factor analysis; food addiction; psychometric; substance use disorders.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Conflicting Interests: The author(s) declared the following potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: Dr Brunault reports personal fees from Lundbeck, personal fees from Astra-Zeneca, personal fees from DNA Pharma, outside the submitted work; Dr Ballon reports personal fees from Lundbeck, personal fees from Astra-Zeneca, personal fees from DNA Pharma, outside the submitted work; and the other authors declare that they have no conflict of interest to disclose.

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