Investigating the use of the Mizes Anorectic Cognitions Questionnaire in a community sample of racially diverse high school males and females

There are relatively few assessment devices which have been developed to measure the cognitions or cognitive processes of the eating disordered pathology of adolescents. One promising scale is the Mizes Anorectic Cognitions Questionnaire, and its revised version (MAC; MAC-R). The present study examined scores on the MAC and MAC-R in a racially diverse sample consisting of 201 non-clinical adolescents. The goals of this study were (1) to examine the reliability and validity of the MAC and MAC-R in a heretofore unexamined population, adolescents, and (2) to examine scores across sex, race, and weight classification in adolescents in order to determine whether normative data should be further stratified into these groups. Findings of the study suggest that the MAC and MAC-R are internally consistent, reliable, and strongly related to other well-established instruments. The present study also suggests that separate means and standard deviations be used when determining nonclinical male and female adolescent normative scores. There were no significant differences on scores across race and weight classification thus further stratification is not advised.

► Examined the MAC and MAC-R in a diverse sample of 201 non-clinical adolescents.
► Findings suggest that the MAC/MAC-R has good internal consistency and reliability.
► Separate means are recommended for nonclinical adolescent males and females.
► No significant differences on scores across race and weight classification.