Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q): Norms for undergraduate men Jason M. Lavender ⁎, Kyle P. De Young, Drew A. Anderson Department of Psychology, University at Albany, State University of New York, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY, 12222, USA abstract article info Article history: Received 16 April 2009 Received in revised form 24 August 2009 Accepted 1 September 2009 Keywords: EDE-Q Norms Undergraduate men Assessment Normative data on the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire for samples of undergraduate men in the United States are presented. Participants were 404 undergraduate men aged 18–26 who completed the EDE- Q as part of two larger survey studies. Mean scores, standard deviations, and percentile ranks for the Global score and four subscale scores are provided. Data regarding the frequency of objective binge eating episodes and compensatory behaviors also are reported. Although the overall prevalence of full threshold eating disorders remains lower in men than in women, body dissatisfaction and disordered eating behaviors are fairly common among young men. These results will help researchers and clinicians interpret the EDE-Q scores of undergraduate men. © 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction The Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q; Fairburn & Beglin, 1994, 2008), derived from the Eating Disorder Examination (EDE) interview (Fairburn & Cooper, 1993; Fairburn, Cooper, & O'Connor, 2008) is one of the most widely utilized self-report measures of disordered eating. The EDE-Q is a popular alternative to the EDE, due in part to the extensive training required to administer the EDE and the substantial resources needed to assess large samples (Luce, Crowther, & Pole, 2008; Wilfley, Schwartz, Spurrell, & Fairburn, 1997). Numerous studies have revealed good convergence of the EDE and EDE-Q in community and clinical samples (Binford, Le Grange, & Jellar, 2005; Grilo, Masheb, & Wilson, 2001; Mond, Rodgers, Hay, Owen, & Beumont, 2004; Wilfley et al., 1997), although individuals tend to endorse higher rates of objective binge eating on the EDE-Q (Fairburn & Beglin, 1994; Wolk, Loeb, & Walsh, 2005). Normative data are necessary for appropriate interpretation of scores on measures such as the EDE-Q. While norms for the EDE-Q among adolescent girls and women are available, (Carter, Stewart, & Fairburn, 2001; Luce et al., 2008; Mond, Hay, Rodgers, & Owen, 2006), norms for young men have not been published. Although the prevalence of full threshold bulimia nervosa and anorexia nervosa remains lower in men than women, the gender difference in the prevalence of binge eating disorder is comparatively small (Striegel- Moore & Franko, 2003). Furthermore, many young men report body dissatisfaction, which may place them at risk for disordered eating (Ricciardelli & McCabe, 2004). Men with eating disorders have been the focus of numerous studies. For example, Braun, Sunday, Huang and Halmi (1999) reported on a sample of men and women admitted to an inpatient eating disorder service over a thirteen-year period. Overall, the authors noted that men and women were more similar than dissimilar in terms of core eating disorder attitudes and behaviors. Results from other studies support this notion and suggest that men and women exhibit comparable eating disorder symptoms, though they may differ in psychiatric comorbidity and in the frequency of certain compensatory behaviors (Carlat, Camargo, & Herzog, 1997; Olivardia, Pope, Mangweth, & Hudson, 1995; Striegel-Moore et al., 2009; Woodside et al., 2001). Studies have reported that the average age of onset of eating disorders in men is approximately 19–20 years (Braun et al., 1999; Carlat et al., 1997), suggesting that college-aged men may be at risk for developing eating disorders. Undergraduate men involved in athletic activities that stress weight control (e.g., wrestling) may be particularly vulnerable (Braun et al., 1999). The aim of the present research was therefore to provide EDE-Q norms for undergraduate men, which may be useful to researchers and clinicians seeking to assess eating pathology among members of this population. 2. Method Undergraduate men (N = 404) from a Northeastern university who were enrolled in an introductory-level psychology course participated in one of two studies that administered the EDE-Q (De Young & Anderson, 2010; Lavender & Anderson, in press). Participants had a mean age of 19.02 ± 1.41 years and BMI of 25.26 ± 4.23 kg/m 2 . A total of 67.8% identified themselves as Caucasian, 10.6% as African American, 7.9% as Latino American, 7.7% as Asian American, and 5.9% as other/missing. Independent samples t-tests revealed no significant differences in age and BMI between the two samples, and a chi-square analysis revealed no significant differences in ethnic composition. Eating Behaviors 11 (2010) 119–121 ⁎ Corresponding author. Tel.: +1 518 442 4851; fax: +1 518 442 4867. E-mail address: jl979833@albany.edu (J.M. Lavender). 1471-0153/$ – see front matter © 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.eatbeh.2009.09.005 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Eating Behaviors