Intense craving for appetizing foods: validation and standardization of the Food Cravings Questionnaire-Trait in Mexico

Gac Med Mex. 2020;156(1):27-33. doi: 10.24875/GMM.19005358.

Abstract

Introduction: Food craving is a motivational and physiological response for eating specific foods, mainly with high caloric content. To assess food craving, self-reports, inventories and questionnaires are used. The Food Cravings Questionnaire-Trait is multi-dimensionally structured and has been validated in several countries, since it is sensitive and adaptable to contextual-cultural changes.

Objectives: To validate and standardize the Food Cravings Questionnaire-Trait in adults of Mexico City.

Method: Non-experimental, cross-sectional, randomized study of 1059 subjects of both genders, between 18 and 84 years of age; 71.86 % of the female gender. Psychometric properties were examined with exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses.

Results: The domains of the questionnaire were reduced and the items were reorganized differently from the original version. The confirmatory factor analysis showed an adequate fit and acceptable standardization of factors. High internal consistency was found for the global questionnaire (a = 0.973 and rho = 0.975) for each one of the domains.

Conclusion: This study determines the viability of the Food Cravings Questionnaire for the population of Mexico City.

Introducción: El food craving o “ansia por comer” es una respuesta motivacional y fisiológica por comer alimentos específicos, principalmente con alto contenido calórico. Para evaluarlo se usa, entre otros, el Food Craving Questionnaire Trait, estructurado multidimensionalmente y validado en diversos países, el cual ha mostrado ser sensible y adaptable a los cambios contextuales-culturales.

Objetivos: Validar y estandarizar el Food Craving Questionnaire-Trait en adultos de la Ciudad de México.

Método: Estudio no experimental, transversal y aleatorizado de 1059 sujetos de uno y otro sexo, entre 18 y 84 años; 71.86 % del sexo femenino. Se examinaron propiedades psicométricas con análisis factoriales exploratorios y confirmatorios.

Resultados: Se redujeron los factores del cuestionario y los ítems se reorganizaron de forma diferente al original. El análisis factorial confirmatorio mostró ajuste adecuado y estandarización aceptable de los factores. Se encontró alta consistencia interna para el cuestionario global (a = 0.973 y rho = 0.975) para cada uno de los factores.

Conclusión: Este estudio determina la viabilidad del Food Craving Questionnaire para población de la Ciudad de México.

Keywords: Alimentary behavior; Ansia por comer; Conducta alimentaria; Food Craving; Food Craving Questionnaire-Trait; Food Cravings Questionnaire-Trait.

Publication types

  • Validation Study

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Anticipation, Psychological
  • Appetite / physiology*
  • Craving / physiology*
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Emotions
  • Feeding Behavior
  • Female
  • Food*
  • Guilt
  • Humans
  • Impulsive Behavior / physiology
  • Male
  • Mexico
  • Middle Aged
  • Psychometrics
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Surveys and Questionnaires / standards*
  • Young Adult