Confirmatory factor analysis and measurement invariance of the eating disorders examination-questionnaire across four male samples in Argentina

Objective: The eating disorder examination-questionnaire (EDE-Q) is among the most widely used instruments in eating disorder research and clinical practice. However, the underlying structure remains a source of confusion, and contradictory results have emerged in studies among male populations. In the current study, we examined previously proposed models of EDE-Q structure in four community samples of Argentinian men. Method: A series of confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs) were performed for five previous factor structure models of the EDE-Q among 232 Argentinian male university students, 277 weightlifters, 275 cross-fit users, and 202 athletes. A multigroup CFA was conducted in the model we retained, to assess measurement invariance across groups. Results: A respecified model of the brief eight-item one-factor proposal provided acceptable fit to the data over the original four-factor structure and three other proposed models. Results from the multigroup CFA showed that the retained model was invariant across samples. Conclusion: Our results provide support for retaining a one-factor EDE-Q structure over a multifactor solution for research purposes among male community samples in Argentina. These data underscore the importance of undertaking psychometric assessment of eating disorder symptom measures before their utilization in specific populations.