Eating disorder diagnostic scale: Additional evidence of reliability and validity

The authors conducted 4 studies investigating the reliability and validity of the Eating Disorder Diagnostic Scale (EDDS; E. Stice, C. F. Telch, & S. L. Rizvi, 2000), a brief self-report measure for diagnosing anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder. Study 1 found that the EDDS showed criterion validity with interview-based diagnoses, convergent validity with risk factors for eating pathology, and internal consistency. Studies 2 and 3 found that the EDDS was sufficiently sensitive to detect the effects of eating disorder prevention programs. Regarding predictive validity, Studies 3 and 4 found that the EDDS predicted response to a prevention program and future onset of eating pathology and depression. Results provide additional evidence of the reliability and validity of this scale and suggest it may be useful in clinical and research applications. Eating disorders are a common psychiatric problem faced by adolescent girls and young women and are marked by chronicity, relapse, and functional impairment (Fairburn, Cooper, Doll, Nor-man, & O’Connor, 2000; Lewinsohn, Striegel-Moore, & Seeley, 2000). Eating disorders are also associated with serious medical complications and high rates of inpatient hospitalization, suicide attempts, and mortality (Newman et al., 1996; Wilson, Heffernan, & Black, 1996). In addition, eating pathology increases the risk for future onset of obesity, depressive disorders, suicide attempts, anxiety disorders, substance abuse, and health problems (Johnson