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A Meta-Analysis of the Diagnostic Accuracy of the SCOFF

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 November 2013

Juan Botella ,
Ana Rosa Sepúlveda ,
Huiling Huang  and
Hilda Gambara
Juan Botella*
Affiliation:
Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (Spain)
Ana Rosa Sepúlveda
Affiliation:
Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (Spain)
Huiling Huang
Affiliation:
Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (Spain)
Hilda Gambara
Affiliation:
Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (Spain)
*
*Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Juan Botella. Facultad de Psicología. Departamento de Psicología Social y Metodología. Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. Cantoblanco s/n. 28049. Madrid (Spain). E-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

A meta-analysis was conducted to reach a pooled estimate of the diagnostic accuracy of the SCOFF. The 15 selected studies represented a total of 882 cases and 4350 controls. The main criterion for inclusion was that the primary study had provided diagnostic classification with both a diagnostic reference and with the SCOFF (with five items and a cut-off point of two). The pooled estimates were .80 (sensitivity) and .93 (specificity). The moderator variables gender and type of measure for the diagnostic reference (interview versus psychometric tests) account for part of the observed variability. For diagnostic references based on interviews the estimate of the efficacy improves significantly. For the studies that match this criterion the sensitivity is .882 and the specificity .925 (diagnostic odds ratio, 92.19). The main conclusion was that the five questions of the SCOFF constitute a very useful screening tool, in several languages; it is highly recommended for screening purposes.

Keywords

SCOFF testeating disorderssensitivity and specificityROC curve
Type
Research Article
Information
The Spanish Journal of Psychology , Volume 16 , 2013 , E92
Copyright
Copyright © Universidad Complutense de Madrid and Colegio Oficial de Psicólogos de Madrid 2013 

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Footnotes

This research was supported by the project PSI2009–12071, from the Spanish Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia.

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