Development of a Culturally Sensitive Measure of Eating Habits in Pakistani University Students

This study aimed to develop and validate the Pakistani Eating Habits Questionnaire (PEHQ). The study was completed in two phases. Phase I involved item generation, and phase II comprised a cross‐sectional survey with Pakistani university students. In Phase I, a 26‐item questionnaire was created based on the literature and the qualitative data obtained through an earlier study. In Phase 2, a sample of Pakistani university students ( N = 830) completed demographic questions and the items generated in Phase I of the study. A confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the three factors proposed in a previously published theoretical model: stress eating , social eating and eat whatever and whenever . The PEHQ had good test–retest reliability, as indicated by strong intraclass correlation coefficients ( n = 19) across a 1‐week follow‐up period. Correlation analysis showed that all three factors had strong intercorrelations, and concurrent validity was supported as the stress eating was significantly associated with body mass index. The new PEHQ is a promising, reliable and valid measure of obesogenic eating habits in Pakistani university students. More studies need to be conducted to validate the PEHQ with Pakistani university students.