Objective: To develop normative data for the children's version of the eating disorder examination questionnaire (ChEDE-Q) for adolescents of different weight status and sexes, and to investigate the usefulness of the ChEDE-Q in overweight youngsters by making a comparison with the ChEDE.
Methods: The subjects were 1 291 adolescents from 12 to 18 years old (429 of them were overweight). The ChEDE-Q and data on height and weight were carried out for all youngsters. For the validity study, 235 overweight subjects were invited to participate in a clinical interview (ChEDE).
Results: Each of the subscales of the ChEDE-Q was significantly correlated with the corresponding subscale of the ChEDE and no significant difference was found between the interview and questionnaire with regard to the overall proportion of youngsters who reported binge eating and excessive exercising and those who did not.
Conclusions: The results demonstrate the importance of taking into account sex and weight status when interpreting ChEDE-Q test results. Furthermore, a comparison with the ChEDE indicates that the ChEDE-Q may serve as a reliable instrument for the screening of binge eating episodes among overweight youngsters.