DEVELOPMENT AND PRELIMINARY VALIDATION OF THE COGNITIVE-BEHAVIORAL DIETING SCALE

Objective: The purpose of this research was to empirically develop the Cognitive Behavioral Dieting Scale (CBDS), a measure of current dieti ng. Method: The first study involved item generation and a procedure t o boost internal consistency while reducing scale length. Study 2 invo lved a factor analysis and measures of scale reliability. The third st udy evaluated the ability of the CBDS to predict calorie intake and ne gative calorie balance from a 24-hr diet recall. Study 4 evaluated con struct validity by comparing the CBDS to dietary restraint, body image , and health behavior self-efficacy. Results: The CBDS is a 14-item sc ale which measures current dieting behavior and related thoughts withi n the past 2 weeks. internal consistency was alpha = .95 and 2-day tes t-retest reliability was r = .95. This scale provides a method for ope rationalizing dieting, provides a construct that is different from res traint, and assess dieting behavior on a continuum. Additionally, this scale was able to predict calorie intake and negative calorie balance above and beyond the predictive ability of physical variables (i.e., body mass index [BMI] and exercise calories). An additional study of c onstruct validity showed the CBDS was related to poor body image estee m and dietary restraint, but minimally related to healthy eating self- efficacy. Discussion: In conclusion, the CBDS shows promise as a valid and reliable measure of dieting behavior. This scale should have util ity in future research on how current dieting relates to eating disord ers, dietary restraint, and obesity. (C) 1996 by John Wiley & Sons, In c.