The EDE and EDE-Q: How Do They Compare?

Some features of bulimia nervosa are more accurately evaluated with the Eating Disorders Examination (EDE) than with its self-report version, the Eating Disorders Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q), according to results of a recent study (Int J Eat Disord 2001;187).

Dr. J. C. Carter and colleagues at Toronto General Hospital compared the level of agreement between the EDE and the EDE-Q in a clinic sample of patients with bulimia nervosa. Sixty women who met DSM-IV criteria for bulimia nervosa (purging type) participated in the study. Fifty-seven completed both the EDE and EDE-Q. The researchers recorded the patients’ self-reported weight during a telephone screening interview.

The EDE generated higher scores

The EDE generated higher scores than the EDE-Q for the frequency of binge eating and vomiting episodes, abuse of laxatives and diuretics and concerns about shape and weight. According to the authors, the findings suggest that some core features of eating disorders may be more accurately measured with the live interview than the self-report questionnaire.