Skip to main content
Journal cover image

Agreement between survey and interview measures of weight control practices in adolescents.

Publication ,  Journal Article
French, SA; Peterson, CB; Story, M; Anderson, N; Mussell, MP; Mitchell, JE
Published in: Int J Eat Disord
January 1998

OBJECTIVE: The present study examined agreement between survey and interview measures of weight control practices in a nonclinical sample of adolescents. METHOD: Surveys were administered in three school health classes. Clinical interviews were conducted in a student subsample (N = 43). RESULTS: Survey-based prevalences for eating behaviors in the past month were: trying to lose weight, 44%; binge eating, 41%; vomiting, 4.7%; laxative use, 0%; and fasting, 14%. Interview-based prevalences were 30%, 11.6%, 0%, 0% and 0%, respectively. Sensitivity was high for all behaviors assessed. However, positive predictive values were low. DISCUSSION: Surveys may be useful as preliminary screening tools for prevention programs, but may yield inflated estimates of unhealthy weight control practices in nonclinical adolescent populations. Research is needed to examine whether adolescents overreport weight control practices on surveys or whether they are less willing to disclose such practices in a private interview.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Int J Eat Disord

DOI

ISSN

0276-3478

Publication Date

January 1998

Volume

23

Issue

1

Start / End Page

45 / 56

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Male
  • Interview, Psychological
  • Humans
  • Female
  • Feeding and Eating Disorders
  • Clinical Psychology
  • Body Weight
  • Body Image
  • Adolescent Behavior
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
NLM
French, S. A., Peterson, C. B., Story, M., Anderson, N., Mussell, M. P., & Mitchell, J. E. (1998). Agreement between survey and interview measures of weight control practices in adolescents. Int J Eat Disord, 23(1), 45–56. https://doi.org/10.1002/(sici)1098-108x(199801)23:1<45::aid-eat6>3.0.co;2-1
French, S. A., C. B. Peterson, M. Story, N. Anderson, M. P. Mussell, and J. E. Mitchell. “Agreement between survey and interview measures of weight control practices in adolescents.Int J Eat Disord 23, no. 1 (January 1998): 45–56. https://doi.org/10.1002/(sici)1098-108x(199801)23:1<45::aid-eat6>3.0.co;2-1.
French SA, Peterson CB, Story M, Anderson N, Mussell MP, Mitchell JE. Agreement between survey and interview measures of weight control practices in adolescents. Int J Eat Disord. 1998 Jan;23(1):45–56.
French, S. A., et al. “Agreement between survey and interview measures of weight control practices in adolescents.Int J Eat Disord, vol. 23, no. 1, Jan. 1998, pp. 45–56. Pubmed, doi:10.1002/(sici)1098-108x(199801)23:1<45::aid-eat6>3.0.co;2-1.
French SA, Peterson CB, Story M, Anderson N, Mussell MP, Mitchell JE. Agreement between survey and interview measures of weight control practices in adolescents. Int J Eat Disord. 1998 Jan;23(1):45–56.
Journal cover image

Published In

Int J Eat Disord

DOI

ISSN

0276-3478

Publication Date

January 1998

Volume

23

Issue

1

Start / End Page

45 / 56

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Male
  • Interview, Psychological
  • Humans
  • Female
  • Feeding and Eating Disorders
  • Clinical Psychology
  • Body Weight
  • Body Image
  • Adolescent Behavior