Table 1.

Description of eating disorder symptoms measures

Measure	Description	Interpretation
EAT-26	The EAT-26 is a 26-item self-report questionnaire that assesses symptoms and concerns characteristic of eating disorders on a six-point scale (always to never), using behavioural questions regarding the past 6 months.18 It is often used as a first step in a multi-stage screening process and has been useful as a screening tool to assess eating disorder risk. It consists of three subscales – diet, bulimia and food preoccupation, and oral control – that make up an overall score. As part of the EAT-26, participants are also asked to self-report their height, current weight, ideal weight, lowest adult weight and highest adult weight.	For those who score >19 and/or qualify for one or more of the behavioural questions, the recommendation is to see a qualified professional because they are exhibiting symptoms characteristic of eating disorders. Even without the cut-off score, this measurement can be used as a continuous measure of eating disorder symptoms.
EDE-Q 6.0	The EDE-Q 6.0 is a 28-item self-report questionnaire that measures frequency and impact of eating disorder behaviours in the past 28 days that reflect severity of aspects of the psychopathology of eating disorders, using seven-point scales (no days to every day; not at all to markedly), and questions where respondents report the number of times or days they engaged in particular behaviours.19 A highly reliable and validated tool, the EDE-Q 6.0 is the most commonly used assessment for eating disorders.17,20 It consists of four subscales – restraint, eating concern, shape concern and weight concern – which make up the global score.	Higher scores indicate greater levels of symptoms. Suggested cut-offs range from 2.30 with the occurrence of binge eating and/or excessive exercise in community samples of young women to indicate ‘probable’ eating disorders,21 to ≥2.80 for clinical samples.22
CIA 3.0	The CIA 3.0 measures the severity of psychosocial impairment from eating disorder features in the past 28 days, on a four-point scale (not at all to a lot).23 It is a 16-item measure that focuses on mood, self-perception, cognitive functioning and work performance, which is intended to be taken after a measurement of current eating disorder behaviours (such as the EDE-Q 6.0). It then provides values to assess the severity of psychosocial impairment secondary to eating disorders.	Higher scores indicate greater psychosocial impairment. A score of 16 is suggested as a cut-point for predicting eating disorder case status.

EAT-26, Eating Attitudes Test; EDE-Q 6.0, Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire; CIA 3.0, Clinical Impairment Assessment Questionnaire.