Development and Initial Validation of the Mindful Eating Behaviour Scale for Children and Parents

Purpose

This research aimed to address existing methodological limitations in research on mindful eating behaviours in children, to enhance future research in this area. This manuscript presents the development and the assessment of the validity and reliability of a Mindful Eating Behaviour Scale for children and parents across five studies.

Methods

Study 1 assessed the scale's content validity using ratings from experts in the field. Study 2 evaluated the internal consistency of the scales. Study 3 explored temporal stability using a test–retest design with a 2-week interval. Studies 4 and 5 examined the criterion-related validity of the scales.

Results

Study 1 demonstrated that the items reflected the definition of mindful eating behaviour and were suitable for children. Study 2 showed that the scale and the subscales, “sensory attention” and “non-judgemental awareness” demonstrated good internal consistency. Using exploratory factor analysis, the scale supported the presence of two factors, “sensory attention” and “non-judgemental awareness”. Study 3 showed that the scale was a reliable measure over time. Studies 4 and 5 showed that the scales are suitable measures for mindful eating behaviour. The scales demonstrated correlations between mindfulness and other eating behaviours, but further research is required, as only limited associations were observed.

Conclusions

The current research presents new psychometric scales for mindful eating in children. The studies show that the scale is valid and reliable.

Level of evidence

No level of evidence: basic science.