Eating Disorder Online Activity Questionnaire (EDOAQ)

Abstract

The Eating Disorder Online Activity Questionnaire (EDOAQ), introduced by Redmond et al. (2023), is a specialized screening instrument designed to measure the potentially detrimental intersection between Problematic Use of the Internet (PUI) and the symptoms or development of Eating Disorders (ED). The development process of the EDOAQ was highly collaborative, incorporating essential input from ED clinical experts, practitioners, and individuals with lived experience, including patients and their parents or carers.

The core objective of the EDOAQ is to serve as a clinical tool that facilitates open and constructive conversations with young people about their specific online activities. The initial assessment of the questionnaire involved a Qualitative Study where feedback was solicited from adolescents, aged 11 to 17, who had been recently referred to a Community Eating Disorder Service (CEDS) in North West England. Thematic Analysis of the narratives provided by both the young participants and the clinicians identified three key areas: the usability and acceptability of the EDOAQ in a clinical setting; the perceived impact of digital engagement on ED symptoms; and the broader context of engagement with the digital world.

It is important to note that the initial source material did not report any quantitative psychometric data regarding the measure’s formal reliability or validity. Consequently, the authors suggest that subsequent research efforts should employ robust mixed-methods approaches, combining both qualitative and quantitative methodologies, to continue the comprehensive evaluation of the EDOAQ’s psychometric properties.

Keywords

Adolescence, Eating Disorders, Online Activity, Problematic Use of the Internet, Problematic Internet Use, Adolescent Behavior, Human Computer Interaction Measures, Internet Usage, Mental Health Assessment.

Authors

Redmond, Tomos, Lamonby, Jasmine, Harrington, Lesley, Wood, Alison.

[quads id=5]

Purpose

The Eating Disorder Online Activity Questionnaire (EDOAQ) was specifically created as a clinical instrument intended to elicit detailed information from adolescent service users who are receiving treatment for eating disorders.

Its fundamental purpose is to quantify and clarify the extent of the adolescent’s problematic engagement with the internet, thereby informing clinical assessment and intervention strategies regarding the influence of digital activity on their disorder.

Construct

The scale measures two primary, overlapping psychological constructs:

• Eating Disorders: Focusing on the behavioral and cognitive manifestations of eating pathology.

• Problematic Internet Use (PIU): Assessing excessive or compulsive internet use that results in distress or impairment, specifically as it relates to eating disorder behaviors and cognitions.

Validity

Status: No data is Available. The initial development and evaluation focused exclusively on qualitative methods (usability and acceptability) and did not include formal psychometric validation studies.

Reliability

Status: No data is Available. Quantitative reliability indices, such as internal consistency (e.g., Cronbach’s alpha) or test-retest reliability, have not yet been reported for the EDOAQ.

Factor Analysis

Status: No data is Available. As the initial study employed a qualitative approach, formal statistical factor analysis (Exploratory or Confirmatory) to determine the underlying structure of the questionnaire items has not been conducted or reported.

Instrument

Test Type: Original Inventory/Questionnaire

Format: Electronic; Paper

Language Available: English

Population Group: Human; Male; Female

Age Group: Childhood (birth-12 yrs); School Age (6-12 yrs); Adolescence (13-17 yrs)

Population Details: The instrument was evaluated with eating disorder patients aged 11-17 years who were accessing specialist services located in the United Kingdom.

Test Methodology: The EDOAQ was developed through an extensive collaborative process involving expert clinicians and individuals with lived experience. The initial evaluation was conducted as a qualitative study. Feedback gathered from adolescent patients was subjected to Thematic Analysis to refine the questionnaire and ensure its clinical relevance and appropriateness for the target demographic.

Keywords

Adolescence, Adolescent Behavior, Eating Disorders, Human Computer Interaction Measures, Internet Addiction, Internet Usage, Mental Health and Illness Assessment, Online Activity, Online Behavior, Problematic Internet Use, Problematic Use of the Internet.

[quads id=5]

Authors

Redmond, Tomos

• Author ORCID Identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9216-9748

• Affiliation: Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust

• Email addresses: [email protected]

• Correspondence Address: [email protected]

Lamonby, Jasmine

• Author ORCID Identifier: No data is Available

• Affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Manchester

• Email addresses: No data is Available

• Correspondence Address: No data is Available

Harrington, Lesley

• Author ORCID Identifier: No data is Available

• Affiliation: Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust

• Email addresses: No data is Available

• Correspondence Address: No data is Available

Wood, Alison

• Author ORCID Identifier: No data is Available

• Affiliation: Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust

• Email addresses: [email protected]

• Correspondence Address: No data is Available

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

Permissions: Contact Corresponding Author

Commercial: No

Fee: No

Test Year: 2023

Reference’s

Redmond, T., Lamonby, J., Harrington, L., & Wood, A. (2023). Developing the Eating Disorder Online Activity Questionnaire (EDOAQ) for adolescents in eating disorder services; a qualitative study. Adolescent Psychiatry, 13(1), 32–48. https://doi.org/10.2174/2210676613666230823121744

[quads id=5]

Items of the Eating Disorder Online Activity Questionnaire (EDOAQ)

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

No data is Available