Validation of the Turkish version of the Yale Food Addiction Scale 2.0 (YFAS 2.0) and item-level insights for short-form development

Food addiction (FA) has received increasing attention as a framework for understanding addictive-like eating and its psychological correlates. This study aimed to provide the first comprehensive Turkish adaptation and psychometric evaluation of the Yale Food Addiction Scale 2.0 (YFAS 2.0). A total of 346 adults aged 19–55 years completed an online survey assessing FA, maladaptive eating, impulsivity, depressive and anxiety symptoms, social desirability, BMI, smoking and alcohol use, chronic disease, and self-reported psychiatric diagnosis. Of these, 109 completed the YFAS 2.0 after 10 days to test temporal stability. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the original unidimensional structure of the 11 diagnostic criteria, with strong factor loadings (.73–.94) and favorable model fit. Internal consistency was good (KR-20 = .86), and test–retest reliability was moderate (ICC = .70). FA symptoms were positively associated with BMI, emotional and uncontrolled eating, negative urgency, depressive symptoms, and anxiety symptoms, with smaller associations for lack of premeditation and perseverance. Sensation seeking and social desirability were not significantly associated with FA symptoms, while FA classification was unrelated to smoking or alcohol use. Participants meeting the FA threshold were more likely to report a psychiatric diagnosis, although this finding warrants caution given self-reported diagnoses and the non-clinical sample. Item-level analyses showed that the highest-loading items differed from those selected for the original mYFAS 2.0 for several criteria, with notable loading gaps limited to two criteria. Overall, findings support the Turkish YFAS 2.0 as a reliable and valid measure in non-clinical adults; proposed short-form item modifications require independent replication.