Factorial Support and Measurement Invariance of the College Eating and Drinking Behavior Scale

Systematic measurement of simultaneous disordered eating patterns and alcohol consumption enables practitioners to identify harmful behaviors and evaluate behavior change. Despite instruments existing which measure these behaviors, few are tested for gender/ethnicity invariance or against measures for disordered eating behaviors and harmful alcohol consumption, rendering limited empirical support for utility. The College Eating and Drinking Behaviors Scale (CEDBS) is a three-factor, self-report measure. The purpose of this study was to conduct a confirmatory factor analysis, invariance testing, and evaluation of predictive validity. Participants included 583 traditional college students from two Southern universities who reported past 30-day alcohol consumption. Results supported the three-factor structure, and evidence of predictive validity indicates that the CEDBS measures disordered eating and alcohol misuse behaviors within the context of food and alcohol disturbance. Findings suggested the CEDBS performs similarly across genders and some ethnicities.