Relationships between alexithymia and food addiction: The Finnish version of Yale Food Addiction Scale and preliminary test of its psychometric properties
BackgroundIt has long been suggested that addictive behaviors are associated with alexithymia, a personality trait characterized by difficulties in emotional awareness and expression. However, little is known about the role of alexithymia in food addiction.ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to inve...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-01-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1067872/full |
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| author | Ru Li Ru Li Jani Kajanoja Jani Kajanoja Jani Kajanoja Jetro J. Tuulari Jetro J. Tuulari Jetro J. Tuulari Linnea Karlsson Linnea Karlsson Linnea Karlsson Hasse Karlsson Hasse Karlsson Hasse Karlsson Max Karukivi Max Karukivi |
| author_facet | Ru Li Ru Li Jani Kajanoja Jani Kajanoja Jani Kajanoja Jetro J. Tuulari Jetro J. Tuulari Jetro J. Tuulari Linnea Karlsson Linnea Karlsson Linnea Karlsson Hasse Karlsson Hasse Karlsson Hasse Karlsson Max Karukivi Max Karukivi |
| author_sort | Ru Li |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | BackgroundIt has long been suggested that addictive behaviors are associated with alexithymia, a personality trait characterized by difficulties in emotional awareness and expression. However, little is known about the role of alexithymia in food addiction.ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between alexithymia and food addiction. As part of the study, the validity of the Finnish version of Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS-F) was also investigated.MethodsThe sample consisted of 360 parents from the FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study. The structural validity of the YFAS-F was evaluated by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was used to explore the structure when proposed models were not supported by CFA. The associations of alexithymia as measured by the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale and food addiction were examined using regression analyses followed by structural equation modeling.ResultsHigher alexithymia was associated with more food addiction by conducting linear regression analysis (B = 0.013, p = 0.011) and structural equation modeling (β = 0.24, p < 0.001). Furthermore, a single-factor model for the 8 criteria of the YFAS-F was supported by CFA and showed acceptable internal reliability (KR-20 = 0.72), and a three-factor solution for the 20 items of the scale was suggested by EFA with good internal reliability (McDonald’s ω = 0.91 for the YFAS-F, 0.91 for component 1, 0.87 for component 2, and Spearman-Brown coefficient = 0.89 for component 3).ConclusionThe current study determined a significant relationship between alexithymia and food addiction, which suggests alexithymia as a relevant factor for food addiction and may provide clinical implications for interventions. Moreover, the YFAS-F appeared to be a valid and reliable tool to evaluate food addiction in our Finnish general population sample. Further studies on the psychometric properties of the YFAS-F in more diverse populations are recommended. |
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| id | doaj.art-348d982ec86c42a79851047bc31734f5 |
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| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T21:37:52Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
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| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-348d982ec86c42a79851047bc31734f52023-01-19T08:42:46ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782023-01-011410.3389/fpsyg.2023.10678721067872Relationships between alexithymia and food addiction: The Finnish version of Yale Food Addiction Scale and preliminary test of its psychometric propertiesRu Li0Ru Li1Jani Kajanoja2Jani Kajanoja3Jani Kajanoja4Jetro J. Tuulari5Jetro J. Tuulari6Jetro J. Tuulari7Linnea Karlsson8Linnea Karlsson9Linnea Karlsson10Hasse Karlsson11Hasse Karlsson12Hasse Karlsson13Max Karukivi14Max Karukivi15Department of Psychiatry, Turku University Hospital, University of Turku, Turku, FinlandDepartment of Clinical Medicine, FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku Brain and Mind Center, University of Turku, Turku, FinlandDepartment of Psychiatry, Turku University Hospital, University of Turku, Turku, FinlandDepartment of Clinical Medicine, FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku Brain and Mind Center, University of Turku, Turku, FinlandDepartment of Psychiatry, Satakunta Hospital District, Pori, FinlandDepartment of Psychiatry, Turku University Hospital, University of Turku, Turku, FinlandDepartment of Clinical Medicine, FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku Brain and Mind Center, University of Turku, Turku, FinlandTurku Collegium for Science, Medicine and Technology, TCSMT, University of Turku, Turku, FinlandDepartment of Clinical Medicine, FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku Brain and Mind Center, University of Turku, Turku, FinlandCenter for Population Health Research, Turku University Hospital, University of Turku, Turku, FinlandDepartment of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Turku University Hospital, University of Turku, Turku, FinlandDepartment of Psychiatry, Turku University Hospital, University of Turku, Turku, FinlandDepartment of Clinical Medicine, FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku Brain and Mind Center, University of Turku, Turku, FinlandCenter for Population Health Research, Turku University Hospital, University of Turku, Turku, FinlandDepartment of Clinical Medicine, FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku Brain and Mind Center, University of Turku, Turku, FinlandDepartment of Adolescent Psychiatry, Turku University Hospital, University of Turku, Turku, FinlandBackgroundIt has long been suggested that addictive behaviors are associated with alexithymia, a personality trait characterized by difficulties in emotional awareness and expression. However, little is known about the role of alexithymia in food addiction.ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between alexithymia and food addiction. As part of the study, the validity of the Finnish version of Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS-F) was also investigated.MethodsThe sample consisted of 360 parents from the FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study. The structural validity of the YFAS-F was evaluated by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was used to explore the structure when proposed models were not supported by CFA. The associations of alexithymia as measured by the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale and food addiction were examined using regression analyses followed by structural equation modeling.ResultsHigher alexithymia was associated with more food addiction by conducting linear regression analysis (B = 0.013, p = 0.011) and structural equation modeling (β = 0.24, p < 0.001). Furthermore, a single-factor model for the 8 criteria of the YFAS-F was supported by CFA and showed acceptable internal reliability (KR-20 = 0.72), and a three-factor solution for the 20 items of the scale was suggested by EFA with good internal reliability (McDonald’s ω = 0.91 for the YFAS-F, 0.91 for component 1, 0.87 for component 2, and Spearman-Brown coefficient = 0.89 for component 3).ConclusionThe current study determined a significant relationship between alexithymia and food addiction, which suggests alexithymia as a relevant factor for food addiction and may provide clinical implications for interventions. Moreover, the YFAS-F appeared to be a valid and reliable tool to evaluate food addiction in our Finnish general population sample. Further studies on the psychometric properties of the YFAS-F in more diverse populations are recommended.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1067872/fullalexithymiafood addictionYale Food Addiction Scalepsychometric propertiesfactor analysisstructural equation modeling |
| spellingShingle | Ru Li Ru Li Jani Kajanoja Jani Kajanoja Jani Kajanoja Jetro J. Tuulari Jetro J. Tuulari Jetro J. Tuulari Linnea Karlsson Linnea Karlsson Linnea Karlsson Hasse Karlsson Hasse Karlsson Hasse Karlsson Max Karukivi Max Karukivi Relationships between alexithymia and food addiction: The Finnish version of Yale Food Addiction Scale and preliminary test of its psychometric properties Frontiers in Psychology alexithymia food addiction Yale Food Addiction Scale psychometric properties factor analysis structural equation modeling |
| title | Relationships between alexithymia and food addiction: The Finnish version of Yale Food Addiction Scale and preliminary test of its psychometric properties |
| title_full | Relationships between alexithymia and food addiction: The Finnish version of Yale Food Addiction Scale and preliminary test of its psychometric properties |
| title_fullStr | Relationships between alexithymia and food addiction: The Finnish version of Yale Food Addiction Scale and preliminary test of its psychometric properties |
| title_full_unstemmed | Relationships between alexithymia and food addiction: The Finnish version of Yale Food Addiction Scale and preliminary test of its psychometric properties |
| title_short | Relationships between alexithymia and food addiction: The Finnish version of Yale Food Addiction Scale and preliminary test of its psychometric properties |
| title_sort | relationships between alexithymia and food addiction the finnish version of yale food addiction scale and preliminary test of its psychometric properties |
| topic | alexithymia food addiction Yale Food Addiction Scale psychometric properties factor analysis structural equation modeling |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1067872/full |
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