Table 2.
Item properties of the Yale Food Addiction Scale for Children
| Diagnostic criteria Item # |
Mean (SD) | Skewness | Kurtosis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Substance is taken in larger amount and for longer period than intended | |||
| #1 When I start eating, I find it hard to stop | 0.10 (0.09) | 2.72 | 3.39 |
| #2 I eat food even when I am not hungry | 0.11 (0.11) | 2.65 | 3.04 |
| #3 I eat until my stomach hurts or I feel sick | 0.15 (0.36) | 1.98 | 1.94 |
| Persistent desire or repeated unsuccessful attempts to quit | |||
| #4 I worry about eating too much food | 0.11 (0.31) | 2.48 | 4.16 |
| #17 I want to cut down or stop eating certain foods | 0.03 (0.05) | 3.85 | 6.99 |
| #18 How often do you try to cut down on certain foods? | 0.04 (0.07) | 3.94 | 7.11 |
| #25 I am able to cut down on certain foods | 0.17 (0.27) | 1.72 | 0.96 |
| Much time is spent to obtain and to use the substance or to recover from its effects | |||
| #5 I feel tried a lot because I eat too much | 0.23 (0.42) | 1.27 | − 0.39 |
| #6 I eat food all day long | 0.06 (0.23) | 3.69 | 5.63 |
| #7 If I cannot find a food I want, I will try hard to get it (ask a friend to get it for me, find a vending machine, and sneak food when people are not looking) | 0.14 (0.24) | 2.10 | 2.43 |
| Important social, occupational, or recreational activities are given up or reduced because of substance use | |||
| #8 I eat food rather than do other things I like (e.g., play and hang out with friends) | 0.12 (0.21) | 2.48 | 4.11 |
| #9 I eat so much that I feel bad afterward. I feel so bad that I do not do things I like (e.g., play and hang out with friends) | 0.05 (0.20) | 4.32 | 5.72 |
| #10 I avoid places that have a lot of food, because I might eat too much | 0.12 (0.31) | 2.43 | 3.89 |
| #11 I avoid places where I cannot eat the food I want | 0.10 (0.29) | 2.70 | 5.30 |
| The substance is continued to be used despite knowledge of adverse consequences | |||
| #21 I eat in the same way even though it is causing problems | 0.44 (0.39) | 0.25 | − 1.94 |
| Tolerance | |||
| #22 I need to eat more to get the good feelings I want (feel happy, calm, and relaxed) | 0.55 (0.49) | − 0.22 | − 1.95 |
| #23 When I eat the same amount of food, I do not feel good the way I used to (feel happy, calm, and relaxed) | 0.53 (0.41) | − 0.13 | − 1.38 |
| Characteristic withdrawal symptoms; substance taken to relieve withdrawal | |||
| #12 When I do not eat certain foods, I feel upset or sick | 0.05 (0.03) | 1.11 | 3.98 |
| #13 I eat certain foods to stop from feeling upset or sick | 0.08 (0.27) | 3.06 | 4.38 |
| #14 When I cut down or stop eating certain foods, I crave them a lot more | 0.10 (0.29) | 2.74 | 5.56 |
| Use causes clinically significant impairment or distress | |||
| #15 The way I eat makes me a really unhappy | 0.10 (0.20) | 2.66 | 3.12 |
| #16 The way I eat causes me problems (problems at school, with my parents, and with my friends) | 0.05 (0.21) | 2.15 | 5.27 |