Test-retest reliability and internal consistency of a variety of measures of dietary restraint and body concerns in a sample of adolescent girls

OBJECTIVE: Internal consistency and test-retest reliability were examined in a variety of measures relating to body concerns and dieting and eating behaviors. METHOD: Grade 9 females (n = 363) from nine schools completed questionnaires with the aid of a definitions glossary at Time 1, including the five subscales of the Eating Attitudes Test, the Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire-Restraint scale, a variety of measures of current size and ideal size (self, parents) based on the Body Figure Rating Questionnaire, the Appearance Evaluation and Appearance Orientation subscales of the Multidimensional Body Self-Rating Questionnaire, and the Weight Loss Behaviors Scale. Four to 5 weeks later, 164 girls completed the questionnaires again. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Findings indicated adequate internal consistency and high test-retest correlations for all measures. Some measures, particularly those related to body size and dietary restraint, showed a slight increase in group means over time.