Psychometric properties and normative data of the Eating Disorder Inventory among 12 to 18 year old Chinese girls in Hong Kong

Abstract 

The present study examined the psychometric properties of the Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI) among Chinese adolescent girls in Hong Kong. We also attempted to provide normative data for the EDI among 12- to 18-year-old Chinese girls in Hong Kong. Two thousand two hundred and fifty-six high school girls between the age of 12 and 18 years participated in this study. Subjects completed the questionnaire package anonymously at their schools. Findings indicate that the internal consistency estimates for the eight EDI scales were in the acceptable range, with alpha ranging from 0.68 for Perfectionism to 0.87 for Body Dissatisfaction. With the exception of a few items, the item-total correlations were also acceptable for the eight scales. Findings of the principal components analysis support the original eight clinically derived EDI constructs. Group comparison analyses reveal significant age differences and race differences in several EDI scales. EDI percentile scores are presented for girls 12–13 and 14–18 years of age in the present study. This study provides further empirical support to the transcultural validity of the EDI. It also highlights the importance of establishing age- and race-specific norms for the inventory.

Keywords:  Psychometric properties, Eating Disorder Inventory, Chinese adolescent girls