Measuring Motivations to Eat Palatable Foods: Adaptation and Psychometric Properties of the Italian Version of the Palatable Eating Motives Scale (PEMS-IT)

doi:10.3390/healthcare12050574

. 2024 Feb 29;12(5):574.

doi: 10.3390/healthcare12050574.

Measuring Motivations to Eat Palatable Foods: Adaptation and Psychometric Properties of the Italian Version of the Palatable Eating Motives Scale (PEMS-IT)

Giada Pietrabissa^{1

2}, Gianluca Castelnuovo^{1

2}, Michelle Semonella³, Stefania Mannarini^{4

5}, Alessandro Alberto Rossi^{4

5}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychology, Catholic University of Milan, 20123 Milan, Italy.
² Clinical Psychology Research Laboratory, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, 20149 Milan, Italy.
³ Department of Psychology, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan 5290002, Israel.
⁴ Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Education, and Applied Psychology, Section of Applied Psychology, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy.
⁵ Interdepartmental Center for Family Research, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy.

PMID: 38470685
PMCID: PMC10930930
DOI: 10.3390/healthcare12050574

Measuring Motivations to Eat Palatable Foods: Adaptation and Psychometric Properties of the Italian Version of the Palatable Eating Motives Scale (PEMS-IT)

Giada Pietrabissa et al. Healthcare (Basel). 2024.

. 2024 Feb 29;12(5):574.

doi: 10.3390/healthcare12050574.

Authors

Giada Pietrabissa^{1

2}, Gianluca Castelnuovo^{1

2}, Michelle Semonella³, Stefania Mannarini^{4

5}, Alessandro Alberto Rossi^{4

5}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychology, Catholic University of Milan, 20123 Milan, Italy.
² Clinical Psychology Research Laboratory, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, 20149 Milan, Italy.
³ Department of Psychology, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan 5290002, Israel.
⁴ Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Education, and Applied Psychology, Section of Applied Psychology, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy.
⁵ Interdepartmental Center for Family Research, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy.

PMID: 38470685
PMCID: PMC10930930
DOI: 10.3390/healthcare12050574

Abstract

Background: Gaining knowledge of the various reasons behind people's consumption of highly processed foods has the potential to enhance obesity prevention initiatives and open avenues to tailor treatment approaches for obesity and binge eating at a more personalized level. This contribution aimed to test the psychometric properties and factor structure of the Palatable Eating Motives Scale (PEMS-IT) in a community sample of Italian adults.

Methods: A confirmatory factor analysis was performed to test the factor structure of the Italian version of the PEMS (PEMS-IT) on a total of 616 respondents. Furthermore, the reliability and convergent validity analysis of the tool were evaluated.

Results: The analysis confirmed the four-factor structure of PEMS-IT [(YBχ² (164) = 537.901; p < 0.001, the CFI = 0.918, RMSEA = 0.072; 90%CI [0.065-0.078]; p(RMSEA < 0.05) < 0.001, and SRMR = 0.080] and satisfactory reliability on its subscales (Cronbach's α: 0.745-0.917). Positive correlations were also found with food addiction and binge-eating symptoms, compulsive eating behavior, and uncontrolled and emotional eating.

Conclusions: The PEMS-IT appears to be an instrument with promising psychometric properties and potential applications in clinical settings. However, it also has some limitations, and future studies could focus on improving the semantic content of the elements to increase the overall utility and precision of the instrument.

Keywords: eating behaviors; eating disorders; food addiction; motivation; palatable foods.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

**Figure 1**
Structural model of the PEMS-IT.

See this image and copyright information in PMC

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References

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[1] Popov V.B., Aytaman A., Aleman J.O. Obesity: The Forgotten Pandemic. Am. J. Gastroenterol. 2022;117:7–10. doi: 10.14309/ajg.0000000000001553. - DOI - PubMed

[2] Popov V.B., Aytaman A., Aleman J.O. Obesity: The Forgotten Pandemic. Am. J. Gastroenterol. 2022;117:7–10. doi: 10.14309/ajg.0000000000001553. - DOI - PubMed

[3] Pietrabissa G., Manzoni G.M., Corti S., Vegliante N., Molinari E., Castelnuovo G. Addressing motivation in globesity treatment: A new challenge for clinical psychology. Front. Psychol. 2012;3:317. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2012.00317. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

[4] Pietrabissa G., Manzoni G.M., Corti S., Vegliante N., Molinari E., Castelnuovo G. Addressing motivation in globesity treatment: A new challenge for clinical psychology. Front. Psychol. 2012;3:317. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2012.00317. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

[5] Greaves C., Poltawski L., Garside R., Briscoe S. Understanding the challenge of weight loss maintenance: A systematic review and synthesis of qualitative research on weight loss maintenance. Health Psychol. Rev. 2017;11:145–163. doi: 10.1080/17437199.2017.1299583. - DOI - PubMed

[6] Greaves C., Poltawski L., Garside R., Briscoe S. Understanding the challenge of weight loss maintenance: A systematic review and synthesis of qualitative research on weight loss maintenance. Health Psychol. Rev. 2017;11:145–163. doi: 10.1080/17437199.2017.1299583. - DOI - PubMed

[7] Castelnuovo G., Manzoni G.M., Villa V., Cesa G.L., Pietrabissa G., Molinari E. The STRATOB study: Design of a randomized controlled clinical trial of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Brief Strategic Therapy with telecare in patients with obesity and binge-eating disorder referred to residential nutritional rehabilitation. Trials. 2011;12:114. doi: 10.1186/1745-6215-12-114. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

[8] Castelnuovo G., Manzoni G.M., Villa V., Cesa G.L., Pietrabissa G., Molinari E. The STRATOB study: Design of a randomized controlled clinical trial of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Brief Strategic Therapy with telecare in patients with obesity and binge-eating disorder referred to residential nutritional rehabilitation. Trials. 2011;12:114. doi: 10.1186/1745-6215-12-114. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

[9] Evert A.B., Franz M.J. Why Weight Loss Maintenance Is Difficult. Diabetes Spectr. 2017;30:153–156. doi: 10.2337/ds017-0025. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

[10] Evert A.B., Franz M.J. Why Weight Loss Maintenance Is Difficult. Diabetes Spectr. 2017;30:153–156. doi: 10.2337/ds017-0025. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

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Measuring Motivations to Eat Palatable Foods: Adaptation and Psychometric Properties of the Italian Version of the Palatable Eating Motives Scale (PEMS-IT)

Affiliations

Measuring Motivations to Eat Palatable Foods: Adaptation and Psychometric Properties of the Italian Version of the Palatable Eating Motives Scale (PEMS-IT)

Authors

Affiliations

Abstract

Conflict of interest statement

Figures

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References

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