Development and initial validation of the Trait and State Mindful Eating Behaviour scales

Abstract The quantitative assessment of mindful eating has been challenging, even with the latest additions to the field of multifactorial mindful eating psychometric tools. This manuscript presents the development, validity and reliability assessment of a trait and state mindful eating behaviour scale across four studies, which was driven by recent theoretical interpretations of defining and assessing mindful eating (Mantzios, 2020). Study 1 assessed the content validity of the scale through ratings of clinical and research experts in the field, which yielded the items of the scale to be reflective and concise of the definition of mindful eating behaviour. Study 2 indicated the presence of 2 factors through exploratory factor analyses, which were further verified through a parallel analysis, and a correlation between subscales indicating the unidimensional nature of the scale, which was further verified through confirmatory factor analysis. Additionally, the internal consistency of the scale and subscales was assessed, where findings were typical of a reliable scale. Study 3 assessed the temporal stability of the scale through a test-retest in a two-week interval, which ensured the reliability of the scale over time. Study 4 assessed the scale in a randomized control experimental design, where a mindful eating (vs. control group) received the trait scale before consuming chocolate, and an equivalent state scale was modified to assess state changes during the 10-minute eating session. Both the trait and state scales were significant indicators of eating mindfully. Together, all studies signal the utility of theoretically sound and empirically validated measurements for the replicable assessment of mindful eating behaviour. Level III: evidence obtained from well-designed cohort or case-control analytic studies.