Children's Eating Attitudes Test (ChEAT)
What it is
The ChEAT (Children’s Eating Attitudes Test) is a self-report questionnaire designed to assess eating behaviours, attitudes, and concerns in children and adolescents. It helps identify early signs of disordered eating, such as body dissatisfaction, fear of weight gain, restrictive eating, and preoccupation with food. The ChEAT is widely used in both clinical and school settings to screen for potential eating disorders like anorexia nervosa or bulimia.
The ChEAT is adapted from the original Eating Attitudes Test (EAT), which is used with adults, and has been tailored to be age-appropriate for younger individuals.
How is it used
The ChEAT is suitable for children and adolescents aged 8 to 14 years and typically takes about 10-15 minutes to complete. The questionnaire asks children to reflect on their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors related to eating, dieting, and body image over the past month.
It is commonly used in schools, pediatric clinics, and counseling settings to identify children who may be at risk of developing eating disorders. It can also help track changes in attitudes towards food and eating behaviors over time, making it useful for monitoring progress during therapy.
What do the scores mean?
The ChEAT consists of 26 questions, each rated on a 6-point scale from 1 (never) to 6 (always). The questions cover different areas related to eating attitudes, including:
- Dieting Behaviours: Restrictive eating and avoidance of certain foods to lose weight.
- Food Preoccupation: Obsessive thoughts about food, eating, or body weight.
- Social Pressure: Concerns about weight or appearance due to external influences.
- Body Dissatisfaction: Feeling unhappy with one’s body shape or weight.
Some questions are reverse scored to ensure a balanced assessment. The total score ranges from 0 to 78, with higher scores indicating more severe concerns about eating and body image. Here’s how to interpret the total score:
- 0 to 19: Low risk. The child is likely to have a healthy attitude towards food and eating, with minimal concerns about body image.
- 20 to 29: Mild concerns. The child may have some preoccupations with food or dieting behaviors. Monitoring and supportive conversations with parents or caregivers may be beneficial.
- 30 to 39: Moderate concerns. The child may be showing signs of disordered eating behaviors that could affect their physical or emotional health. Therapeutic support or counselling is recommended.
- 40 and above: High risk. The child may be at significant risk for developing an eating disorder. A thorough assessment by a healthcare professional is advised to explore possible eating disorders and provide appropriate interventions.
The ChEAT helps identify specific areas of concern, such as whether a child is engaging in restrictive eating or feeling overly concerned about their body image. This information can guide tailored interventions to improve their relationship with food and body image.
What does the research say?
The ChEAT is a well-established and widely used tool in both research and clinical settings to assess disordered eating in children. It has strong reliability (producing consistent results) and validity (accurately identifying eating-related concerns). The questions have been adapted to be understandable and age-appropriate for younger respondents.
One of the strengths of the ChEAT is its ability to identify early signs of disordered eating before they develop into more serious eating disorders. By catching these issues early, parents, educators, and healthcare providers can take proactive steps to support the child’s physical and emotional well-being.
Note: The ChEAT is a screening tool, not a diagnostic instrument. Higher scores suggest that it may be beneficial to consult with a mental health or medical professional for a more thorough assessment.
Developer
Maloney et al. (1988). Reliability testing of a children’s version of the Eating Attitude Test. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 27(5), 541-543.