Annie Aimé

The Intuitive Eating Scale-3 (IES-3) is a new 12-item instrument that provides an updated assessment of intuitive eating, a recognized protective factor of disordered eating. However, the IES-3's psychometric properties have not been assessed outside the parent study. Here, we assessed the psychometric properties of a novel French translation of the IES-3 in 772 French-speaking Canadian adults. Respondents completed the French IES-3 alongside additional measures selected to provide assessments of validity. Exploratory factor analysis with a first split-half subsample showed that a 4-factor model fit the data well. In a second split-half subsample, a bifactor-exploratory structural equation model (B-ESEM) with a G-factor and four S-factors best fit the data. Across subsamples, the 4-factor and B-ESEM models demonstrated gender invariance, and did not show measurement bias in terms of age and body mass index (BMI). Additional analyses showed some variation in intuitive eating as a function of age, BMI, and gender identity. Finally, results supported the composite reliability and convergent and concurrent validity. In sum, the French IES-3 demonstrates strong psychometric properties.

Objective: This study aims to explore the factors associated with weight bias (WB) among university students in psychosocial, health and education programs. Participants and Methods: WB attitudes were assessed among 585 university students using the Anti-Fat Attitudes (AFA) Questionnaire. Socio-demographic and educational characteristics, weight-and body-related variables, and physical activity were collected. Results: Multivariate linear regression showed that identifying as a man, not having employment, and reporting higher levels of internalized WB (IWB) were associated with higher mean scores on the AFA-Dislike subscale. Identifying as a woman, having higher levels of IWB, lower body mass index and lower body appreciation were associated with higher mean AFA-Fear of Fat scores. Identifying as a man was associated with higher AFA-Willpower scores, while being a student in a psychosocial program was associated with lower scores. Conclusions: This study provides preliminary understanding of factors associated with WB among students, suggesting current interventions may benefit from incorporating gender- and program-specific components.

L’intimidation liée au poids s’observe fréquemment à l’école secondaire. L’objectif de la présente étude est d’explorer le point de vue d’adolescents sur ce phénomène et les stratégies visant à le contrer. Pour ce faire, des entrevues ont été réalisées auprès de 19 jeunes, âgés de 14 à 17 ans. Elles exploraient ce type d’intimidation, les facteurs explicatifs, les conséquences et l’efficacité des stratégies d’intervention. Les jeunes interrogés suggèrent que l’intimidation en lien avec le poids est subtile et qu’elle a d’importantes conséquences. Des stratégies visant à mobiliser les adultes et les pairs envers les jeunes qui subissent l’intimidation et à apporter un soutien émotionnel sont à préconiser, alors que les sanctions et la surveillance sont à éviter.

Intuitive eating is an adaptive eating style that could help explain part of the relation between affect and eating behaviors. However, research in this area remains limited. The objectives of this study are twofold. First, we examine the relation between affect, disordered eating attitudes and behaviors (DEABs), and orthorexia nervosa (ON). Second, we investigate the mediating role of intuitive eating regarding these relations. A sample of 197 French-speaking Canadian women, aged from 18 to 69, participated in the study. The results showed that negative affect was related to DEABs and ON, but not positive affect. Statistically significant associations were also found between affect (negative and positive) and the four dimensions of intuitive eating. Additionally, negative relations were found between intuitive eating dimensions and most types of eating behaviors (encompassing DEABs and ON), except for dieting. Finally, our results revealed that the relations between affect (positive and negative) and most types of eating behaviors were indirect (i.e., suggesting mediation) via intuitive eating. Based on these results, it seems that interventions addressing affect regulation and eating behaviors could benefit from including a focus on intuitive eating.

State Social Physique Anxiety (SPA), in contrast to Trait SPA, is triggered by specific situations that elicit SPA. To date, no research has used virtual reality (VR) to recreate a situation that may elicit State SPA. The purpose of this study is to validate a virtual environment (VE) that simulates an anxiogenic situation to induce State SPA in women with obesity and high SPA. The high SPA group consisted of 25 self-identified women living with obesity and high Trait SPA. The low SPA group consisted of 20 self-identified women with low SPA. All participants were immersed in a virtual swimming pool environment for 10 min using a virtual reality headset. After the immersion, State SPA and fear of being negatively judged felt during immersion were measured with self-report questionnaires. A questionnaire assessing unwanted negative side effects was administered before and after the immersion. Using an ANCOVA with Trait SPA as covariate, State SPA was found to be significantly higher in the high SPA group. Fear of being judged negatively was also significantly higher in the high SPA group. Unwanted negative side effects scores did not increase post-immersion in either group. This study documents the validity of a novel VE for inducing State SPA in women with obesity and high SPA.

What is already known about this topic: What this topic adds:

The present study sought to examine the psychometric properties of the French and German versions of the Physical Self-Concept Questionnaire for Elementary School Children – Revised (PSCQ-C-R). A sample of 519 children participated in this study. Of those, 197 were French-Canadian and 322 were German. Results support the factor validity and reliability of PSCQ-C-R across the overall sample and the French-Canadian and German samples. Subsequent analyses not only supported the weak, partial strong, and strict invariance of the PSCQ-C-R across samples, but also showed significant latent mean differences across samples. Moreover, analyses revealed a lack of differential item functioning as a function of age, body mass index, and sex between samples, as well as latent mean differences (that were invariant between samples) as a function of children’s age, body mass index, and sex. Finally, analyses confirmed the measurement invariance of the PSCQ-C-R over a nine-month period in the German sample.

This longitudinal study investigates the association between weight- and appearance-related bullying in high school and various dimensions of postsecondary school adaptation. The results showed that, in high school, weight-related bullying is more common than appearance-related bullying. Youth bullied because of weight were at higher risk of considering dropping out of college or university than peers who were bullied because of appearance. Those bullied because of overweight indicated being less academically involved than those bullied because of appearance. A cumulative effect of bullying sources was also observed, with a higher likelihood of youth bullied by two or more sources having considered dropping out and experiencing lower social integration and institutional commitment. These results highlight the need to consider weight-related bullying seriously and to intervene rapidly.

Plusieurs auteurs suggèrent que les adultes émergents lesbiennes, gais, bisexuelles ou bisexuels (LGB) auraient davantage de difficultés à définir qui ils sont et à se projeter dans l’avenir, du fait des défis spécifiques qu’ils rencontrent. Notre étude vise à : 1) vérifier si les jeunes LGB rapportent une identité moins clairement définie et des perspectives futures plus négatives, comparativement à leurs pairs hétérosexuels; 2) identifier si la fréquence des expériences d’intimidation homophobe et le niveau de soutien familial perçu peuvent contribuer à expliquer ces différences; 3) déterminer s’il existe des différences entre les jeunes lesbiennes et gais (LG) et leurs pairs bisexuelles et bisexuels en termes de confusion identitaire et de perspectives futures négatives. Un questionnaire électronique a été rempli par 5217 jeunes hétérosexuels et 519 jeunes LGB, âgés de 18 à 29 ans (61,5 % de femmes) et scolarisés dans différents établissements postsecondaires au Québec. Les analyses révèlent que : 1) les jeunes LGB rapportent davantage de confusion identitaire et des perspectives futures plus négatives, comparativement à leurs pairs hétérosexuels (une fois le genre, l’âge, l’origine ethnique et le statut financier contrôlés); 2) plus les jeunes disent subir ou avoir subi d’intimidation homophobe et moins ils estiment recevoir de soutien familial, plus ils rapportent une confusion identitaire et des perspectives futures négatives; 3) les jeunes bisexuelles et bisexuels ont une identité moins clairement définie que leurs pairs LG.

Purpose Disordered eating attitudes and behaviors (DEAB) in childhood have been prospectively associated with eating disorders and obesity in adolescence. Therefore, evaluating DEAB in children with a reliable, sensitive and well-adapted scale is very important. The Children’s Eating Attitudes Test (ChEAT) is one of the most popular measuring tools for DEAB in children, but no French version is available. Moreover, while completion time is an important factor to be considered when working with children, only one recent study proposed a shorter version of the ChEAT. Taking the previous works of Murphy and colleagues (2019) as a starting point, the current study aimed to provide the first French-speaking validated 14-item short version of the ChEAT. Methods A sample of 1092 boys and girls aged between 8 and 12 years old were recruited in two urban areas in the province of Quebec, Canada. They completed the ChEAT, and their height and weight were measured at school. Factorial structure and internal consistency were assessed. Results After the initial factorial analysis, two “vomiting (or purging)” items were yielded as problematic and were thus removed from the analysis. The remaining 12 items provided a good fit to the data and a good internal consistency. Moreover, the factorial structure was proved to be invariant across sexes. Conclusion This study is the first to provide a French assessment of DEAB in elementary school children. The French short version of the ChEAT provided a quick and reliable assessment for DEAB with non-clinical children population and could be used as a screening tool, even though no cut-off was established yet. Level of evidence Cross-sectional, descriptive study, Level V.