Psychometric validation of the Clinical Impairment Assessment in a UK eating disorder service

A number of studies have provided data on young women for the Clinical Impairment Assessment (CIA, v. 3.0), a measure of psychosocial impairment in eating disorders. However, little data exists on eating disorder samples. The aim of the current study was to investigate psychometric properties of the CIA in a clinical sample, using confirmatory factor analysis based on the originally-proposed model. The CIA was administered alongside with the Eating Disorder Examination (EDE) to 190 individuals referred to an eating disorder service. Psychometric properties of the CIA were acceptable, based on model fit and factor loadings. The CIA appears to be a useful and valid measure for the assessment of impairment in eating disorders. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.