Cross-cultural adaptation and psychometric testing of the Turkish version of the Sensory Eating Problems Scale in children with neurodevelopmental disorders

Objectives To adapt the Sensory Eating Problems Scale (SEPS) into Turkish and evaluate its psychometric properties.Methods Caregivers of 200 children with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) and 90 typically developing (TD) children aged 3–11 years participated. Cronbach’s α, intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC), and Spearman-Brown coefficients were computed for reliability. Construct validity was tested via ordinal confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Convergent validity was examined through correlations with The Screening Tool of Feeding Problems (STEP). T-tests were used for known-groups validity analysis. Discriminant validity was assessed using the Heterotrait-Monotrait (HTMT) ratio with Parent Mealtime Action Scale (PMAS) items.Results Children with NDDs had a mean age of 79.46 months (SD: 21.32). SEPS subscales’ Cronbach’s α ranged from 0.70 to 0.86, ICCs from 0.81 to 0.99, and Spearman-Brown coefficient was 0.91. CFA fit indices: χ2(df) = 417.19(194), p < 0.001; χ2/df = 2.15; CFI = 0.94; TLI = 0.93; RMSEA = 0.08; SRMR = 0.14. Significant correlations with STEP subscales ranged from r = 0.14 to 0.66. The HTMT ratio was 0.18. SEPS scores differed between NDD and TD children (p < 0.05), albeit with small effect sizes in three subscales.Conclusions Turkish SEPS shows good psychometric properties. However, its limited reliability suggests caution in using SEPS scores alone for critical clinical decisions, such as healthcare service allocation.