Barnhart Wesley R, Hog Liv, Zickar Michael J, Baker Jessica H, Dinkler Lisa, Guintivano Jerry, Johnson Jessica S, MacDermod Casey, Munn-Chernoff Melissa, Micali Nadia, Ortiz Shelby, Pisetsky Emily M, White Jennifer P, Bulik Cynthia M, Thornton Laura M
Department of Psychology, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, Ohio, USA.
Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Int J Eat Disord. 2025 Apr;58(4):714-723. doi: 10.1002/eat.24381. Epub 2025 Jan 19.
Self-report measures of ARFID symptoms (e.g., Nine-Item Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder Screen [NIAS]) are used to assess symptom differences between groups. Measurement invariance techniques clarify if groups interpret a measure similarly, providing a foundation for examining group differences. Considering age and reporter status (e.g., parent vs. self-report), we investigated measurement invariance of the NIAS in (1) self-reporting adults vs. adolescents; (2) parent reports on children vs. adolescents; and (3) parent reports on adolescents vs. adolescent self-report. If measurement invariance was supported, we examined symptom differences.
Data were from the ARFID Genes and Environment (ARFID-GEN) project.
Self-reporting adults vs. adolescents and parent reports of adolescents vs. adolescent self-report interpreted the NIAS similarly (measurement invariance was supported). Measurement invariance was not supported in parent reports on children vs. adolescents. Self-reporting adults reported higher appetite scores (i.e., lower appetite) than self-reporting adolescents at the subscale and item level on the NIAS. Although no subscales differences were identified between parent reports on adolescents and adolescent self-reports, parents reported more picky eating and lower appetite in adolescents than self-reporting adolescents at the item level on the NIAS.
Findings support using the NIAS to measure symptom differences in self-reporting adults vs. adolescents and in parent reports of adolescents vs. adolescent self-reports. Findings may be leveraged by researchers interested in maturational effects of ARFID symptoms in adolescents and adults via self-reports on the NIAS and clinicians interested in tracking the convergence of parent and adolescent NIAS reports while undergoing treatment for ARFID.
回避/限制性食物摄入障碍症状的自我报告测量方法（例如，九项回避/限制性食物摄入障碍筛查量表[NIAS]）用于评估不同组之间的症状差异。测量不变性技术可阐明不同组对测量方法的理解是否相似，为检验组间差异提供基础。考虑到年龄和报告者身份（例如，父母报告与自我报告），我们研究了NIAS在以下方面的测量不变性：（1）自我报告的成年人与青少年；（2）父母对儿童与青少年的报告；（3）父母对青少年的报告与青少年自我报告。如果支持测量不变性，我们则检验症状差异。
数据来自回避/限制性食物摄入障碍基因与环境（ARFID-GEN）项目。
自我报告的成年人与青少年以及父母对青少年的报告与青少年自我报告对NIAS的理解相似（支持测量不变性）。父母对儿童与青少年的报告中不支持测量不变性。在NIAS的分量表和项目层面，自我报告的成年人比自我报告的青少年报告的食欲得分更高（即食欲更低）。虽然在父母对青少年的报告与青少年自我报告之间未发现分量表差异，但在NIAS的项目层面，父母报告的青少年挑食情况和食欲比自我报告的青少年更多。
研究结果支持使用NIAS来测量自我报告的成年人与青少年之间以及父母对青少年的报告与青少年自我报告之间的症状差异。对通过NIAS自我报告研究青少年和成年人中回避/限制性食物摄入障碍症状成熟效应感兴趣的研究人员，以及对在回避/限制性食物摄入障碍治疗过程中追踪父母和青少年NIAS报告一致性感兴趣的临床医生，可能会利用这些研究结果。
