Towards the cross-cultural validation of the eating disorders inventory : a pilot study.

Abstract

Eating disorders were predominantly perceived to be a white, Western higher socioeconomic phenomenon. However, as Western cultural values have been embraced, eating disorders appear to have become prevalent across racial, ethnic and socio-economic groups. In the last decade there has been an increased interest in assessing eating disorders from a cross-cultural perspective. Many studies have been conducted in the United Kingdom and the United States of America. Relatively few empirical studies have been conducted in South Africa. The Eating Disorders Inventory (EDI) is an instrument that has been used in eating disorder research and is known to be reliable and valid. Although the EDI has been used in South Africa, its cross-cultural validity has not yet been determined. The purpose of this research is a pilot cross-cultural validation of the EDI to determine if this design would be appropriate for a large-scale validation project.