Validity and Reliability of the Turkish Version of the Salzburg Emotional Eating Scale: A Psychometric Study

Background: The Salzburg Emotional Eating Scale (SEES) measures emotional eating by evaluating responses to both positive and negative emotions. This study aimed to establish the validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the SEES (SEES-TR). Method: The SEES was translated into Turkish and back-translated into English. The translated version was reviewed by experts and pretested on a preliminary sample. The final version was administered to 303 participants from Namık Kemal University. The data collected included demographic information and responses to the SEES and the Emotional Eating subscale of the Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire (DEBQ). Reliability was assessed using Cronbach's alpha, McDonald's omega, and test-retest analyses. Validity was evaluated using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, along with content and surface validity. Results: The SEES-TR demonstrated high internal consistency, with Cronbach's alpha values of 0.924 for the total scale and above 0.90 for the subscales. McDonald's omega values supported these findings. Test-retest reliability indicated stability over time. Exploratory factor analysis confirmed a four-factor structure corresponding to happiness, sadness, anger, and anxiety, which was further supported by confirmatory factor analysis. Content and surface validity were established through expert reviews and pretesting. Conclusion: The Turkish version of the Salzburg Emotional Eating Scale is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing emotional eating behaviors in the Turkish population. This tool can be effectively used in both clinical and research settings to evaluate emotional eating in response to various emotional states.