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Registered report: Initial development and validation of the eating disorders safety behavior scale.

Author
Abstract
:

Anxiety and eating disorders (EDs) often co-occur, prompting calls to explore anxiety-related maintenance processes in ED samples. Safety behaviors, which function to prevent a feared outcome from occurring or to reduce anxiety associated with a feared stimulus, are observed across anxiety disorders and, along with overt avoidance behaviors, are an important target in treatment. Data suggest that individuals with EDs also engage in safety behaviors. However, no existing assessments provide a comprehensive measure of eating-disorder-specific overt avoidance and safety behaviors. The goal of this Stage 1 Registered Report is to develop a comprehensive self-report measure of ED-specific safety behaviors. In Study 1, we will recruit 50 women with EDs to complete the scale and provide feedback on the response scale. Feedback from these participants will be used to refine the measure. In Study 2, we will evaluate the psychometric properties of the measure in a large sample of women with EDs (n dependent on the size of measurement) and a community sample without current or a history of ED symptoms. We will explore the measure factor structure, known-groups validity by comparing scores from women with EDs to healthy controls, internal consistency, and convergent and divergent validity with other psychological instruments.

Year of Publication
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2021
Journal
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The International journal of eating disorders
Volume
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54
Issue
:
4
Number of Pages
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660-667
ISSN Number
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0276-3478
URL
:
https://doi.org/10.1002/eat.23479
DOI
:
10.1002/eat.23479
Short Title
:
Int J Eat Disord
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