Development and initial validation evidence for a mindful eating questionnaire for children

Mindful eating interventions have become a focus among health professionals, which warrants a need for a psychometrically solid assessment tool. The current study outlines the development and initial validation of the Mindful Eating Questionnaire (MEQ) adapted for Children (MEQ-C). Participants included 262 third through fifth grade students (53% female, 57% white, non-Hispanic) who participated in a mindful eating intervention Foodie U. Data was also collected from 140 parents. Exploratory factor analysis delineated two factors (Awareness and Mindless Eating). Test-retest analysis with a subsample (n = 93) indicated moderate correlations for both factors. The two subscales have good construct validity and can be utilized in an exploratory sense for mindful eating interventions among children. Specifically, the eight-item mindless eating subscale has good internal consistency reliability and can independently be used as a questionnaire to assess overall mindless eating practices among children. Further research is needed to explore and better understand domains of mindful eating among children besides awareness.