EAT-26 as a Stable Measure of American College Athletes: Diet, Food, Preoccupancy, and Calorie Counting as Predictors of Health

EAT-26 as a Stable Measure of American College Athletes: Diet, Food, Preoccupancy, and Calorie Counting as Predictors of Health

Alvin Sherman Library

This study examines the structure and reliability of the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26) in a sample of 144 college athletes. The EAT-26 is commonly used to measure eating attitudes but is not intended to diagnose eating disorders. The study aims to confirm if the test's factor structure, which has been stable since its development in 1979, remains consistent in this new group. The results show that the EAT-26 continues to reflect three main factors—Dieting, Preoccupation with Food (Others Notice) and Calorie Counting (Oral Control). These factors accounted for the majority of the variation in responses, with "Dieting" being the most significant. Other components related to food control and eating behaviors also emerged. These findings support the ongoing reliability and usefulness of the EAT-26 for assessing eating attitudes in healthy populations, especially among athletes, and provide a solid reference point for future research on eating behaviors.