Yonsei Med J.  2012 Nov;53(6):1099-1106. 10.3349/ymj.2012.53.6.1099.

Validation of the Korean Version of the Eating Disorder Inventory-2: Psychometric Properties and Cross-Cultural Comparison

• Lee JH
• Shin MY
• Jo HH
• Jung YC
• Kim JK
• Kim KR

• KMID: 1414250
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3349/ymj.2012.53.6.1099

Abstract

PURPOSE
The purpose of the present study was to examine the validity and reliability of the Korean version of the Eating Disorder Inventory-2 (EDI-2) in Korean patients with eating disorders and healthy controls, and to investigate cultural differences of EDI-2 between a Korean group and a North American standardization sample.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The Korean version of the EDI-2 was prepared after comprehensive clinical assessment of Korean patients with eating disorders (n=327) as well as female undergraduates (n=176). Results were compared between eating disorder subgroups (anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and eating disorders not otherwise specified) and those of a North American standardization sample and healthy controls.
RESULTS
The results showed that the Korean EDI-2 had adequate internal consistency (0.77-0.93) and discriminated well between patients with eating disorders and healthy controls on all subscales. Significant differences in EDI-2 subscale scores between the eating disorder groups and the healthy control group were observed; however, there was no discernible difference among the eating disorder subgroups. When compared with a North American standardization sample, the Korean control group showed significantly higher scores for drive for thinness and asceticism. When patient groups were compared, the Korean group showed significantly lower scores for perfectionism.
CONCLUSION
As expected, the results accurately reflected psychometric properties of the Korean version of EDI-2 for eating disorder patients in Korea. These findings also suggest that common characteristics for the eating disorder exist as a whole rather than with significant difference between each subgroup. In addition, significant differences between the Korean and the North American groups for both patients and controls also demonstrated specific cultural differences.

Keyword

Cross-cultural comparison; Eating Disorder Inventory; EDI-2; factor analysis; validation

MeSH Terms

Adult
Asian Continental Ancestry Group
*Cross-Cultural Comparison
Eating Disorders/*psychology
Female
Humans
*Psychometrics
Young Adult

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 The mean profiles of EDI-2 subscale scores for Korean (n=176) and North American (n=205). *DT (t=2.81, p<0.0001) and A (t=5.88, p<0.0001) were statistically different between groups. EDI-2, Eating Disorder Inventory-2; K-Control, Korean control groups; A-Control, North American control groups; DT, drive for Thinness; B, bulimia; BD, body dissatisfaction; I, ineffectiveness; P, perfectionism; ID, interpersonal distrust; IA, interoceptive awareness; MF, maturity fears; A, asceticism; IR, impulse regulation; SI, social insecurity.

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