An examination of the Clinical Impairment Assessment among women at high risk for eating disorder onset

• Published in: Behaviour research and therapy 2012-06, Vol.50 (6), p.407-414
• Main Authors: Vannucci, Anna, Kass, Andrea E., Sinton, Meghan M., Aspen, Vandana, Weisman, Hannah, Bailey, Jakki O., Wilfley, Denise E., Taylor, C. Barr
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Behavior modification; Biological and medical sciences; Case-Control Studies; Clinical impairment; Data processing; Diagnosis; Early Diagnosis; Early intervention programmes; Eating behavior disorders; Eating disorders; Feeding and Eating Disorders - diagnosis; Feeding and Eating Disorders - psychology; Female; High risk; Humans; Medical sciences; Miscellaneous; Norms; Physical training; Prevention; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales - standards; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychometrics; Psychometrics. Diagnostic aid systems; Psychopathology; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Quantitative psychology; Risk Assessment; Risk factors; Risk reduction; Socioeconomic Factors; Sound; Surveys and Questionnaires; Techniques and methods; Women; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0005-7967; 1873-622X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.brat.2012.02.009

Identifying measures that reliably and validly assess clinical impairment has important implications for eating disorder (ED) diagnosis and treatment. The current study examined the psychometric properties of the Clinical Impairment Assessment (CIA) in women at high risk for ED onset. Participants were 543 women (20.6 ± 2.0 years) who were classified into one of three ED categories: clinical ED, high risk for ED onset, and low risk control. Among high risk women, the CIA demonstrated high internal consistency (α = 0.93) and good convergent validity with disordered eating attitudes (rs = 0.27–0.68, ps