Validation of the French version of SCOFF questionnaire for screening of eating disorders among adults

Objective. The aim of this study was to translate and validate a French version of the English SCOFF questionnaire for the screening of eating disorders (ED) in a student population. Methods. The translation and back-translation method were employed for adaptation of the French version of SCOFF (SCOFF-F). SCOFF-F paper questionnaire was given to female students attending yearly evaluation in the University Preventive Medicine Department. After completing the SCOFF-F, each student was evaluated by one ED specialist blinded to SCOFF-F results. The validated French version of Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) and DSM-IV criteria for ED were employed as diagnostic references. Results. A total of 400 women were evaluated. ED were diagnosed in 37 (9.3%) of students: eight (2%) cases of anorexia nervosa (AN) and 29 (7.3%) of bulimia nervosa (BN). Diagnostic threshold was fixed at two positive answers with a sensitivity of 94.6%, a specificity of 94.8% and an area under the curve of 96.2%. Positive and negative predictive values for ED were 65 and 99%. Similar figures were obtained separately for AN and BN. Conclusion. This study demonstrates that the French version of SCOFF questionnaire is accurate and reliable for the detection of women with EDs in this high-risk student population.