Measuring eating disorders in Autistic people: a proposal for future research

This publication is included in the Autistic Autism Scholarship Project. one author of this publication is identified as autistic in the project.

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Longhurst, P., Nimbley, E., Evans, E. H., MacLennan, K., Gillespie-Smith, K., & Duffy, F. (2024). Measuring eating disorders in Autistic people: a proposal for future research. Eating Disorders, 33(6), 724-733. https://doi.org/10.1080/10640266.2024.2416340

Publication date: 16 Oct 2024 Added to AutiHub: 28 Sep 2026 Type: Article Article language: English
Publisher source (DOI) Full text OpenAlex source

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Authors

Publication authors
6
Publication authors identified as autistic
1 / 6 (16.7%)
  1. Phaedra Longhurst *
  2. Emy Nimbley
  3. Elizabeth H. Evans
  1. Keren MacLennan
  2. Karri Gillespie-Smith
  3. Fiona Duffy

Abstract

While diagnostic pathways for identifying Autism in eating disorder (ED) populations have been developed, the field continues to lack validated psychometric tools to measure EDs for use in the Autistic population. Many commonly used measures for EDs potentially lack validity and reliability in the Autistic population limiting theoretical and practical advancements in the field. This paper outlines current conflicts in autism and ED research and how these can be addressed through psychometric methodology. We discuss: (1) the lack of differentiation between ED pathology and Autistic eating behaviours, as well as the limited inclusion of autism-specific mechanisms in existing tools; (2) the subsequent theoretical and practical implications for researchers, clinicians, and Autistic people; and (3) future directions for psychometric research. Scholars are encouraged to employ participatory designs with autistic people before carefully considering which analytical strategies are used in the Autistic population.

Bibliography cited by this reference

Cited references are imported from external metadata sources when they are available. The list may be partial.

Cited bibliography overview

These indicators describe the bibliography cited by this publication. An author name is counted each time it appears in one cited reference, so the same person can be counted more than once. Names not yet linked to an author already present in AutiHub are treated as unknown, not as non-autistic. Last computed: 2 Oct 2026 01:01.

Cited references
41
With a DOI
40
Without a DOI, from raw bibliography text
1
10 / 41 (24.4%) cited references include at least one author identified as autistic.
References with data to complete
1 / 41 (2.4%)
References with detected author names
41 / 41 (100.0%)
Without detected author names
0
Without a structured title
1
Without a stable identifier
1
References with raw author names still to review
0
References with external metadata lookup issues
1
These indicators apply to cited references displayed on this page, after technical duplicates have been merged. A reference without a DOI can still support author statistics when a title and author names are available.
Author names detected in the cited bibliography
168
From DOI or external metadata
168
From validated raw bibliography text
0
Raw names already validated
0
Raw names still to review
0
81 / 168 (48.2%) names are linked to an author already present in AutiHub. 87 / 168 (51.8%) names are not yet linked.
Names linked to a person identified as autistic
17 / 168 (10.1%)
Calculated across all author names detected in the cited bibliography. Among names linked to an author already present in AutiHub: 17 / 81 (21.0%). Distinct people identified as autistic: 13 / 138 (9.4%).
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