Psychometric properties of the Turkish version of the eating behavior questionnaire for autism spectrum

Aim: This study was conducted to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Turkish version of the Autism Spectrum Disorder Mealtime Behavior Questionnaire.Material and Method: This study was conducted using a methodological design. The study population consisted of parents of children aged 3–18 diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) who were registered at 10 rehabilitation centers in the Mardin city center and receiving education between October 2024 and October 2025. It was planned to recruit 210 parents, corresponding to at least five times the number of items on the scale, and 240 parents who volunteered to participate were included in the study. A descriptive questionnaire and the Autism Spectrum Disorder Mealtime Behavior Questionnaire were used for data collection. SPSS 25 and AMOS 21 software packages were used for data analysis.Results: The average age of the parents was 36.59±8.73 years, and 72.1% were female. It was determined that 32.5% of the parents were high school graduates, 61.3% were unemployed, 55.8% had a middle income level, and 77.9% had a nuclear family structure. The content validity index of the scale was calculated as 0.99. Exploratory factor analysis revealed that the scale consists of 24 items and five sub-dimensions. Item-total test correlation values for all items ranged from 0.345 to 0.758, and factor loadings ranged from 0.433 to 0.941. Confirmatory factor analysis showed acceptable fit indices (χ²/sd=2.634; CFI=0.930; TLI=0.921; IFI=0.930; RMSEA=0.058; SRMR=0.0699). The overall Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of the scale was calculated as 0.790.Conclusion: As a result of the research, it was determined that the Turkish version of the Autism Spectrum Disorder Mealtime Behavior Questionnaire is a valid and reliable measurement tool. It was concluded that the scale is a valid and reliable tool that can be used to evaluate mealtime behaviors in children diagnosed with ASD.