Bridging Gaps in Obesity Assessment: Spanish Validation of the Eating Behaviors Assessment for Obesity (EBA-O)

Background and objective: Obesity is currently one of the major challenges in medicine. Research indicates that evaluating eating habits can contribute significantly to the development of more effective treatments. This study aims to validate the Eating Behaviors Assessment for Obesity (EBA-O) in a sample of Spanish adults with overweight or obesity. Methods: This cross-sectional study involved 384 participants and employed confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to examine the factorial structure of the EBA-O. Additionally, McDonald's ω coefficient and correlations with established measures of eating behaviors and psychopathology were run to measure internal consistency and convergent validity, respectively. Two-way MANOVA was used to assess the effects of sex and body mass index (BMI) categories on EBA-O scores. Results: CFA supported a second-order five-factor structure for the EBA-O, demonstrating excellent fit indices. The Spanish version of the EBA-O exhibited significant correlations with measures of binge eating, food addiction, and eating disorder psychopathology. Internal consistency was high (ω = 0.80). Significant effects of sex and BMI were observed across EBA-O subscales. Conclusions: The EBA-O appears to be a valid, reliable, and easy-to-use instrument for assessing eating behaviors among Spanish-speaking individuals with overweight or obesity. Its strong psychometric properties support its use in both clinical settings and research, enhancing the development of tailored interventions for this population.