Validation Of The Yale Food Addiction Scale: Factor Structure And Item Analysis

The development of the Yale Food Addiction Scale 2.0 (YFAS 2.0) followed the latest update of the addiction criteria in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder version 5. The objective of this study is to translate the YFAS 2.0 into the Malay language and test its psychometric properties in a primary care population. Between the year 2017 and 2018, a total of 300 adults from a regional primary care clinic in the district of Seremban were assessed for food addiction (FA) utilizing the Malay version of the YFAS 2.0. The participants were also tested for eating disorder using the validated Malay version Binge Eating Scale (BES). An assessment of the psychometric properties of the scale was performed to determine the factor structure, item statistics, internal consistency and construct validity of the scale. The prevalence of FA was 5.0%. A two factorial structure of YFAS was confirmed as the most optimal solution through factor analysis. In both its diagnostic and symptom count version, the YFAS 2.0 had good internal consistency (Kuder-Richardson alpha > 0.80) and was associated with body mass index (BMI) and binge eating disorder. We validated a psychometrically sound Malay version of the YFAS 2.0 in a primary care population in both its diagnostic and symptom count version. The questionnaire also revealed the dual dimension of food addiction beliefs in the Malaysian population. The questionnaire can now be formally utilized as a tool to predict addictive eating patterns in the society.