The development and validation of the muscularity-oriented eating test: A novel measure of muscularity-oriented disordered eating

Objective

Body dissatisfaction is intricately linked to the development of disordered eating. However, as male body dissatisfaction appears more oriented toward muscularity, versus thinness per se, existing measures of eating disorder psychopathology may lack sensitivity in capturing disordered eating that is muscularity-focused. The aim of the present study was to develop a specific measure of muscularity-oriented disordered eating—the muscularity-oriented eating test (MOET).

Method

Candidate items were generated and refined in consultation with eating disorder-focused researchers and focus groups of men with eating disorders. Examination of the MOET comprised two studies, consisting of 511 undergraduate men, divided into two component samples. In Study 1 (n = 307), candidate items were generated and refined via exploratory factor analysis (EFA). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was then used to confirm the single factor structure in Study 2 (n = 204).

Results

EFA revealed a 15-item single factor structure, which was later confirmed through CFA in a separate sample of undergraduate men. Furthermore, the MOET yielded evidence of internal consistency (Study 1: omega = 0.93, 95% CI [0.91, 0.94]; Study 2: omega = 0.92, 95% CI [0.90, 0.93]), 7-day (Study 1) and 21-days (Study 2) test-retest correlation (r_s = .75, for Study 1 and 2) and convergent and divergent validity.

Discussion

The MOET represents a psychometrically sound, novel measure of muscularity-oriented disordered eating. Future research should examine its utility in clinical samples and research into muscularity-oriented disordered eating.