[Assessment of eating disorder psychopathology in pre-gastric banding candidates: interview or self-report questionnaire?].

The objective was to compare two methods for assessing eating disorder psychopathology in pre-gastric banding surgery patients. 93 morbidly obese patients were assessed with the German versions of the Eating Disorder Examination (EDE) and the Eating Disorder Examination-Questionnaire (EDE-Q). The EDE and the EDE-Q were significantly correlated on the restraint, eating concern, shape concern and weight concern subscales, although the questionnaire scores were significantly higher. Frequencies of objective bulimic episodes were slightly but significantly correlated and the difference between EDE and EDE-Q was not significant. When participants were classified as binge eaters based on a cut-off of two binges per week on average in the last 28 days, the concordance between EDE and EDE-Q was moderate. The EDE-Q seems well-suited in assessing eating disorder psychopathology in obese pre-gastric banding patients. Yet, for the assessment of binge eating episodes the use of the questionnaire alone can not be recommended.