Composite Summary Scores Capture Obesogenic Eating Risk Among Preadolescents Using the Child Eating Behaviour Questionnaire

BACKGROUND: The Child Eating Behaviour Questionnaire (CEBQ) measures multiple appetitive traits. We used a data-driven approach to identify simplified composite scores across traits to summarise obesogenic eating risk. METHODS: From 354 unrelated 9-to-12-year-olds, we examined 29 items from CEBQ domains measuring food approach or avoidance: food responsiveness, enjoyment of food, emotional over-eating, desire to drink, satiety responsiveness, slowness in eating, and emotional under-eating. Factor analysis assuming a single factor was used to reduce the number of items in one composite, obesogenic eating score. Candidate composite scores averaged items with standardized loadings ≥|0.40|, ≥|0.50|, or ≥|0.70|. Those scores, the individual domain scores, and a theory-driven composite score were correlated with BMI z-scores and two obesity polygenic risk scores (PRS, subset n = 247). RESULTS: The three data-driven composite scores (4-18 items) and the theory driven score were highly correlated with each other (r range: 0.77-0.97) and more strongly correlated with BMI (r range: 0.38-0.42; FDR q < 0.001) than any individual domain score. Similarly, these scores were significantly correlated with both PRSs. CONCLUSIONS: We identified CEBQ composite scores related to child BMI and genetic obesity risk, suggesting a subset of CEBQ items can measure obesity risk conferred by child appetitive traits.