Confirmatory factor analysis of the Children's Eating Behaviour Questionnaire in a low-income sample

Although pediatric obesity is prevalent in low-income and African American and Hispanic communities, validated measures of child eating habits are lacking for these communities. In this study, confirmatory factor analysis was used to validate the hypothesized 7-factor structure of the Children's Eating Behaviour Questionnaire (CEBQ). The sample included 229 parent–child pairs, the majority low-income and Hispanic (57%) or African American (25%). The a priori structure of the CEBQ failed to replicate. Exploratory factor analysis revealed 3 factors: Disinhibition, Food interest, and Undereating, none predicting child BMI. Although limited by the observational, cross-sectional design, results indicate that the CEBQ needs additional study.

► First psychometric investigation of CEBQ in low-income American families.
► CEBQ failed to replicate on a low-income African American and Hispanic sample.
► 15 item CEBQ is proposed with Disinhibition, Food interest, and Undereating scales.