A Clinical Comparison of Men and Women on the Eating Disorder Inventory-3 (EDI-3) and the Eating Disorder Assessment for Men (EDAM)

This study focused on the most commonly used eating disorder assessment tool, the Eating Disorder Inventory-3 (EDI-3), and the preliminary Eating Disorder Assessment for Men (EDAM). These assessment tools were examined to investigate predictability in males and the extent they differentiated between men and women. Specific scales of the EDI-3 and total scores for each instrument were assessed using a sample of 108 males and females from residential treatment facilities. Overall, the EDI-3 scales were shown to be significantly different between genders on a MANOVA, with men scoring significantly lower in body dissatisfaction, drive for thinness, and bulimia. Both instruments showed the ability to predict eating disorders when using a logistical regression analysis. Results support the hypothesis that eating disorders are significantly different in men and women, providing evidence that there is a need to develop a valid and reliable eating disorder assessment tool specifically for men.