Development and validation of a Food Preoccupation Questionnaire

ObjectiveExisting Food Preoccupation Questionnaires do not take account of food-related thoughts that have a positive emotional valence. We report on the development and validation of a questionnaire that provides independent assessments of thought frequency and emotional valence (positive, negative or neutral).MethodIn Study 1 questionnaire items were validated against a three-day diary measure with 40 males and females. In Study 2 the questionnaire was administered to 130 males and females alongside a range of other measures.ResultsThe questionnaire showed good construct validity, internal reliability, and test–retest reliability. Dieters and females scored higher on frequency and negativity subscales. There was also a significant interaction between sex and diet status on thought frequency, with females showing a stronger relationship between the two.DiscussionThe questionnaire should be useful for exploring the cognitive impact of dieting and relationships between food preoccupation, food processing biases and overeating.