Assessing disordered eating behaviours and attitudes: Factor structure and measurement invariance of the Arabic version of the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26) in Saudi Arabia

Background The factorial structure of the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26) has been found inconsistent across studies and samples. This study examined the factorial structure and measurement invariance of the Arabic version of the EAT-26 in a large non-clinical Saudi sample. Methods 1,734 Saudi adults ( M _age 26.88 and SD 9.13), predominantly female, completed an online survey. Confirmatory factor analysis evaluated several established factorial models to identify the best-fitting model for the Arabic version of the EAT-26. Results The original three-factor model and two other common models demonstrated poor fit. Instead, a 16-item, four-factor structure [(Self-Perceptions of Body Weight), (Dieting), (Awareness of Food Contents), and (Food Preoccupation)] showed acceptable fit ([CFI = 0.904; SRMR = 0.0554; RMSEA = 0.073 [90% CI: 0.068–0.077]). Internal consistency was good, and measurement invariance was supported across sex and BMI categories. Conclusions These findings suggest the need for culturally relevant validation of the EAT-26 among Arabic-speaking populations, as the factorial structure differed from previous models. Future research should further examine this revised 16-item, four-factor structure in clinical settings.