Validation of the Emotional Eating Scale among Chinese undergraduates

• Hong Zhu

  Central South University

• Taisheng Cai

  Central South University

• Gui Chen

  Central South University

• Bin Zhang

  Hunan University of Chinese Medicine

We examined emotional eating among undergraduates in China. The Emotional Eating Scale (EES; Arnow, Kenardy, & Agras, 1995) was translated into Chinese and adapted to assess intensity and frequency of eating in response to different emotions. A factor analysis generated 4 subscales of emotions for which eating is a response: anxiety, depression, anger/hostility, and positive emotion. Internal consistency reliability for the subscales was established (Cronbach’s alpha = .817, .852, .832, and .861, respectively). Moderate correlations were found between all subscales, eating pathology, and impulsive control. Positive emotion and negative emotion were found to play an important role in eating behavior. As there was a strong relationship between emotional eaters, especially negative emotional eaters, and eating psychopathology, these individuals may be at high risk of developing an eating disorder and/or becoming obese.

1. Hong Zhu, Central South University
   Medical Psychological Institute of The Second Xiangya Hospital, Hunan Province Technology Institute of Psychiatry, Key Laboratory of Psychiatry and Mental Health of Hunan Province
2. Taisheng Cai, Central South University
   Medical Psychological Institute of The Second Xiangya Hospital, Hunan Province Technology Institute of Psychiatry, Key Laboratory of Psychiatry and Mental Health of Hunan Province
3. Gui Chen, Central South University
   Medical Psychological Institute of The Second Xiangya Hospital, Hunan Province Technology Institute of Psychiatry, Key Laboratory of Psychiatry and Mental Health of Hunan Province
4. Bin Zhang, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine
   Department of Applied Psychology

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