Validation of the Czech Modified Yale Food Addiction Scale in a Representative Sample of Adolescents: Connections with Body Mass Index and Impulsivity

INTRODUCTION:

The Czech Republic records one of the highest prevalence levels of obesity in comparison to other European and world countries. The present study aims to fill a gap in the use of tools in research of food addiction (FA), which is believed to be one factor in the high prevalence of obesity.

METHODS:

A pen-and-paper study was conducted using a nationally representative non-clinical sample of 3950 adolescents aged 11–19.

RESULTS:

The FA prevalence rate was 4.1%. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses verified a one-factor structure. The reliability corresponded to KR = 0.80, CI95% = (0.79, 0.81), McDonald’s ω = 0.79 (0.86 for continuous scale). The connection between FA and impulsivity was confirmed using Poisson regression and logistic regression, and the prevalence of FA decreases with lower impulsivity.

CONCLUSIONS:

The study findings suggest that the Czech version of mYFAS 2.0 is a reliable tool for research purposes with regard to the Czech environment. Further research should incorporate additional personality traits to obtain a more comprehensive understanding of the emerging topic of food addiction.