Objective: Chocolate consumption has long been associated with enjoyment and pleasure. Popular claims confer on chocolate the properties of being a stimulant, relaxant, euphoriant, aphrodisiac, tonic and antidepressant. The aim of our study was to validate and to verify the reliability of the Italian version of the Attitudes to Chocolate Questionnaire (ACQ) which evaluates different dimensions of chocolate craving experience.
Methods: The Italian version of ACQ was administered to a sample consisting of 1609 adults, recruited among students of the University of L'Aquila and general population. The subjects also completed the Stress-Related Vulnerability Scale (SVS), which assesses the level of stress and social support received.
Results: This study showed a good degree of stability and internal consistency of the two-factor model, respectively represented by craving and sense of guilt, in comparison to previous ones. The scoring for both factors resulted greater in women than in men. Subjects of younger age and with lower Body Mass Index (BMI) achieved higher scores in relation to the craving dimension, while a positive correlation was observed between age and sense of guilt. Finally the total scoring at SVS and its subscales resulted significantly interrelated with the two factors.
Conclusions: Our study confirms the validity and the reliability of the Italian version of the two-factors based ACQ scale and strongly underlines the association between perceived stress and dysfunctional approach to chocolate consumption.