Validation of the Arabic version of the Teruel Orthorexia Scale (TOS) among Lebanese adolescents

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed at examining the reliability and validity of the Teruel Orthorexia Scale (TOS) among a sample of Lebanese adolescents (15 to 18 years old). METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study that was conducted between May and June 2020 and had enrolled 555 Lebanese adolescents. To assess the internal structure of the TOS scale, we administered the confirmatory factor analysis based on polychoric correlation matrix using Weighted Least Squares with Means and Variance Adjusted estimation (WLSMV) method in Mplus v 7.2 as suggested in the original validation paper. To assess the degree to which the Lebanese adaptation converges with the original scale, we have conducted the Multigroup Confirmatory Factor Analysis (MGCFA; estimated as CFA) between the data reported in the current paper and from the original validation paper. RESULTS: The mean age of the participants was 16.66 ± 1.01 years, with 76.1% females. The bi-dimensional model fitted the data well (χ(2)((118)) = 429.09; p < 0.001; CFI = 0.954; RMSEA = 0.069[0.062, 0.076]). The latent factors were highly correlated (ρ = 0.74; p < 0.001), and the strength of the standardized factor loadings was adequate on both factors (i.e., all > 0.60). The fit indices of the scalar model were at the boundary of the threshold and thus, with some pinch of caution, it might be interpreted as invariant (i.e., having equal item intercepts across groups). We have identified latent mean differences in orthorexia nervosa (0.30; p < 0.001), where Spanish individuals scored higher, but we did not find any differences in the healthy eating (0.03; p = 0.636). Higher DOS scores were significantly correlated with higher scores on the TOS subscale OrNe (r = 0.715; p < 0.001) as well as with higher scores on the TOS subscale HeOR (r = 0.754; p < 0.001). Higher ORTO-R scores were significantly associated with less TOS OrNe (r = − 0.437; p < 0.001) and TOS HeOr (r = − 0.305; p < 0.001) scores, respectively. CONCLUSION: The Arabic version of the TOS can be considered a reliable valuable instrument to assess the ON tendencies and behaviors in Lebanese adolescents, emphasizing the fine contrast between ON’s two dimensions: healthy vs. pathological. LEVEL V: Opinions of authorities, based on descriptive studies, narrative reviews, clinical experience, or reports of expert committees.