Validation of a Measure of Hypervigilance and Anxiety About Gastrointestinal Symptoms for Individuals With Elevated Eating Pathology

K. Jean Forney*, Helen Burton Murray, Tiffany A. Brown, Livia Guadagnoli, Gabriella Pucci, Tiffany Noel Taft

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

3 Scopus citations

Abstract

Gastrointestinal symptoms are common within eating disorders and gastrointestinal-specific anxiety is a posited maintenance factor. The present study sought to validate a modified version of an existing measure of gastrointestinal-specific anxiety and hypervigilance in a sample with elevated eating pathology. Esophageal-specific terms in the Esophageal Hypervigilance and Anxiety Scale were modified to measure any gastrointestinal symptoms as a general measure of gastrointestinal-specific anxiety and hypervigilance. Three hundred eighty-two undergraduate students (83.5% female, 87.4% White) with elevated eating pathology completed a questionnaire battery that also measured gastrointestinal symptoms, general anxiety sensitivity, and lower gastrointestinal-specific anxiety on two occasions. Analyses were preregistered at Open Science Framework. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated a two-factor solution (anxiety and hypervigilance) fit the data best. Internal consistency and 2-week test–retest reliability were good for subscale scores. Subscale scores exhibited large associations with a measure of lower gastrointestinalspecific anxiety but did not exhibit the hypothesized relationships with general anxiety sensitivity. Subscale scores were at least moderately correlated with measures of gastrointestinal symptoms and somatic symptom severity, with some exceptions (hypervigilance with nausea/vomiting, postprandial fullness/early satiety, bloating). Subscale scores exhibited negligible associations with discriminant validity measures. Results suggest that gastrointestinal-specific anxiety and hypervigilance are separable in samples with elevated eating pathology. The Anxiety and Hypervigilance subscale scores showed good reliability in a sample with elevated eating pathology. Correlations with measures of gastrointestinal symptoms and gastrointestinal-specific anxiety generally demonstrated good convergent and discriminant validity. We recommend researchers use subscale scores, rather than total score, in future research on gastrointestinal symptoms associated with eating pathology.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)41-52
Number of pages12
JournalPsychological assessment
Volume36
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 7 2023

Funding

There is no funding to disclose. Livia Guadagnoli is a postdoctoral research fellow of the Research Foundation Flanders (12A7822N). Livia Guadagnoli and Tiffany Taft receive royalties for commercial use of the Esophageal Hypervigilance and Anxiety Scale.

Keywords

  • anxiety
  • avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder
  • feeding and eating disorders
  • gastrointestinal symptoms
  • hypervigilance

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Clinical Psychology
  • Psychiatry and Mental health

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