Translation and Validation of the Persian Version of Mindful Eating Questionnaire

Background: Wrong eating behaviors increase the risk of numerous chronic diseases. Objectives: This study aims to determine the validity and reliability of the Mindful Eating Questionnaire (MEQ) in the Iranian population. Materials & Methods: In a validation study at the University of Guilan City, Iran, in 2019-2020. First, the MEQ was translated based on the forward-backward method. After applying the changes to the Persian version of MEQ (P-MEQ), 50 participants responded to the P-MEQ twice with an interval of 3 weeks. Then, 384 Iranian students selected by the two-stage cluster sampling method completed the P-MEQ to determine its construct validity. Sixty participants simultaneously filled the P-MEQ and the Freiburg Mindfulness Inventory (FMI-SF) to determine concurrent validity. To determine known-group validity, 23 very obese participants and a Body Mass Index (BMI) of over 35 kg/m2 were compared to individuals with a healthy weight (BMI: 18.5-24.9 kg/m2). Results: The test-retest reliability of the P-MEQ was obtained as 0.59 for the total score, and it ranged from 0.58 to 0.79 for the subscales. The first-order Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) results indicated that after removing four items with weak factor loading, the five-factor P-MEQ model had appropriate goodness of fit (χ2/df=2.516, RMSEA=0.067, AGFI=0.835, IFI=0.924, & CFI=0.916). The second-order CFA revealed that the latent components of awareness, distraction, disinhibition, emotional response, and external cues reflected the concept of higher levels of mindful eating acceptably (χ2/df=2.545, RMSEA=0.067, AGFI=0.825, IFI=0.912, & CFI=0.905). However, there was a poor relationship between the total score of P-MEQ and FMI-SF (r=0.24, P=0.07). Conclusion: Regardless of concurrent validity, the Persian version of MEQ has proper construct validity, test-retest reliability, and internal consistency.