The reliability and validity study of the Turkish version of Brief Measure of Eating Compulsivity (MEC) among adolescents.

Abstract

Background: Food addiction has been increasingly recognized as a contributing factor to obesity and eating disorders. Compulsive eating, characterized by an uncontrollable urge to consume food despite adverse consequences, shares behavioral similarities with substance addiction. This study aims to adapt the Brief Measure of Eating Compulsivity (MEC) into Turkish and evaluate its validity and reliability in the adolescent population.

Methods: The study included a sample of 89 adolescents aged 12-18 years. Participants without chronic medical or psychiatric conditions affecting eating behaviors were included. The adaptation process involved translation, back-translation, and expert evaluations to ensure cultural and linguistic appropriateness. The psychometric properties of the Turkish MEC were assessed through internal consistency, exploratory factor analysis, and criterion validity using the Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS).

Results: The internal consistency of the Turkish MEC was 0.89, with item-total correlations ranging from 0.56 to 0.72. Factor analysis supported a single-factor structure explaining 52.6% of the variance. Convergent validity was established through a significant positive correlation with YFAS scores (r = 0.57, p < 0.001). Criterion validity analysis demonstrated significantly higher MEC scores in individuals classified as food addicts by YFAS (p = 0.025). Additionally, significant differences in MEC scores were observed across body mass index categories (p = 0.010), with higher scores in adolescents with obesity compared to the normal-weight group.

Conclusions: The Turkish version of the MEC demonstrated strong reliability and validity among adolescents, supporting its use in assessing compulsive eating behaviors. Given the increasing prevalence of obesity and eating disorders in Turkish youth, this tool provides a valuable resource for early detection and intervention in research and clinical settings.