Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2019 Oct 22:10:2370.
doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02370. eCollection 2019.

Exercise Obsession and Compulsion in Adults With Longstanding Eating Disorders: Validation of the Norwegian Version of the Compulsive Exercise Test

Karianne Vrabel  1 , Solfrid Bratland-Sanda  2
Affiliations

Exercise Obsession and Compulsion in Adults With Longstanding Eating Disorders: Validation of the Norwegian Version of the Compulsive Exercise Test

Karianne Vrabel et al. Front Psychol. .

Abstract

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to (1) validate the Norwegian version of the Compulsive Exercise Test (CET) in adults with longstanding eating disorders, and (2) explore predictors of high CET-score.

Methods: Adult inpatients (n = 166) with longstanding DSM-IV Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa (BN) or Eating Disorder not Otherwise Specified (EDNOS) completed the CET instrument, Eating Disorder examination questionnaire (EDE-Q), Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) and Symptom checklist-90 (SCL-90). A total CET score of 15 or above was defined as high CET-score. ANOVA, Confirmatory factor analysis, Pearson's correlation, and logistic regression were used to analyze the data.

Results: Cronbach's alpha varied from 0.68 to 0.96 for the CET and its subscales. The confirmatory factor analysis showed adequate fit. Convergent validity of the CET demonstrated correlation between EDE-Q global and subscale scores and CET total score. The same pattern was found for correlation between CET subscales and EDE-Q subscales. EDE-Q global score and frequency of exercise episodes predicted high CET-score, yet 21% of the patients with high CET score had less than one episode of exercise per week.

Conclusion: The Norwegian version of CET is valid and useful for assessing compulsive exercise in a sample with longstanding ED. The understanding of compulsive exercise must to a greater extent differ between obsessions and compulsions, as a significant number of patients with high CET score showed no or little exercise behavior.

Keywords: adults; anorexia nervosa; bulimia nervosa; eating disorder not otherwise specified; methods; self-report measures.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Proportion of subjects with high (≥15) or low (<15) CET-score across frequency of exercise, from 0 to >1 time/day.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Altman S. E., Shankman S. A. (2009). What is the association between obsessive–compulsive disorder and eating disorders? Clin. Psychol. Rev. 29 638–646. 10.1016/j.cpr.2009.08.001 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Beck A. T., Epstein N., Brown G., Steer R. A. (1988). An inventory for measuring clinical anxiety: psychometric properties. J. Consult. Clin. Psychol. 56 893–897. 10.1037/0022-006x.56.6.893 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Beck A. T., Steer R. A., Brown G. K. (1996). Manual for the Beck Depression Inventory-II. San Antonio, TX: Psychological Corporation.
    1. Bratland-Sanda S., Sundgot-Borgen J., Rosenvinge J. H. (2019). Defining compulsive exercise in eating disorders: acknowledging the exercise paradox and exercise obsessions. J. Eat Disord. 7:8. 10.1186/s40337-019-0238-2 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Brewerton T. D., Stellefson E. J., Hibbs N., Hodges E. L., Cochrane C. E. (1995). Comparison of eating disorder patients with and without compulsive exercising. Int. J. Eat Disord. 17: 413–416. 10.1002/1098-108x(199505)17:4<413::aid-eat2260170414>3.0.co;2-0 - DOI - PubMed