Development and Validation of an Eating-Related Eco-Concern Questionnaire

Baiyu Qi; Emily K Presseller; Gabrielle E Cooper; Avantika Kapadia; Alexis S Dumain; Shantal M Jayawickreme; Emily C Bulik-Sullivan; Eric F van Furth; Laura M Thornton; Cynthia M Bulik; Melissa A Munn-Chernoff

doi:10.3390/nu14214517

Development and Validation of an Eating-Related Eco-Concern Questionnaire

Nutrients. 2022 Oct 27;14(21):4517. doi: 10.3390/nu14214517.

Authors

Baiyu Qi¹, Emily K Presseller^{2

3}, Gabrielle E Cooper⁴, Avantika Kapadia⁵, Alexis S Dumain⁶, Shantal M Jayawickreme⁴, Emily C Bulik-Sullivan^{7

8}, Eric F van Furth^{9

10}, Laura M Thornton⁴, Cynthia M Bulik^{4

11

12}, Melissa A Munn-Chernoff⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27516, USA.
² Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
³ Center for Weight, Eating, and Lifestyle Science, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
⁴ Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.
⁵ Department of Clinical Psychology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore 560030, India.
⁶ Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.
⁷ Marsico Lung Institute and Cystic Fibrosis Research Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.
⁸ Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.
⁹ GGZ Rivierduinen Eating Disorders Ursula, 2333 ZZ Leiden, The Netherlands.
¹⁰ Department of Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 ZB Leiden, The Netherlands.
¹¹ Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden.
¹² Department of Nutrition, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27516, USA.

Abstract

Eco-concern, the distress experienced relating to climate change, is associated with mental health, yet no study has examined disordered eating related to eco-concern. This study developed and validated a 10-item scale assessing Eating-Related Eco-Concern (EREC). Participants (n = 224) completed the EREC, Climate Change Worry Scale (CCWS), and Eating Disorder Examination-Questionnaire (EDE-Q). Construct validity, convergent validity, and internal consistency were evaluated. Sex differences in EREC were evaluated using t-tests. Associations among the EREC, CCWS, and EDE-Q were evaluated using linear regression models. Sensitivity analyses were conducted in individuals below EDE-Q global score clinical cut-offs. Factor analysis suggested that all items loaded adequately onto one factor. Pearson's correlation and Bland-Altman analyses suggested strong correlation and acceptable agreement between the EREC and CCWS (r = 0.57), but weak correlation and low agreement with the EDE-Q global score (r = 0.14). The EREC had acceptable internal consistency (α = 0.88). No sex difference was observed in the EREC in the full sample; females had a significantly higher mean score than males in sensitivity analysis. The EREC was significantly positively associated with the CCWS and EDE-Q global and shape concern scores, but not in sensitivity analysis. The EREC is a brief, validated scale that can be useful to screen for eating-related eco-concern.

Keywords: climate change; eating behaviors; eco-anxiety; mental health; questionnaire development.

MeSH terms

Factor Analysis, Statistical
Feeding and Eating Disorders* / diagnosis
Female
Humans
Male
Psychometrics
Reproducibility of Results
Surveys and Questionnaires

Abstract

MeSH terms

Grants and funding