Transcultural Adaptation and Validation of the Eating Self-Efficacy Brief Scale (ESEBS): The Brazilian version

Purpose This study aimed to develop and validate the Brief Eating Self-Efficacy Scale (ESEBS-BR) in Brazilian Portuguese, addressing the lack of tools to assess eating self-efficacy beliefs in Portuguese-speaking populations. Method The study sought to cross-culturally adapt the scale, evaluate its internal structure, validate its reliability and validity, and explore potential associations between eating self-efficacy and eating behaviors. The cross-cultural adaptation process followed guidelines proposed by Beaton et al. (2007), involving translation and back-translation, expert committees, and pre-testing. Scale validation was conducted with 228 participants, including reliability analyses, confirmatory factor analysis, and correlations with established measures of eating behavior. Results The ESEBS-BR, maintaining all 8 original items, demonstrated high reliability, with a two-factor structure model confirmed by confirmatory factor analysis. Significant correlations were found between ESEBS-BR scores and measures of binge eating and eating behaviors, validating its criterion validity. Conclusions The development and validation of the ESEBS-BR represent a significant contribution to the assessment of eating self-efficacy in the Brazilian population. The scale proved to be sensitive, reliable, and valid, offering an important tool for research and clinical interventions related to eating behavior. Level of evidence V, descriptive cross sectional study