Methodological Approaches to Assess Disordered Eating Behaviors Related to Gluten-Free Diet Management in Children and Adolescents with Celiac Disease: A Scoping Review.

Objective

This scoping review aimed to map the methodological approaches used to assess disordered eating attitudes and behaviors in children and adolescents with celiac disease (CD).

Methods

This review followed the Joanna Briggs Institute scoping review methodology and the PRISMA-ScR guidelines, including studies of children and adolescents with CD that used methodological approaches to assess disordered eating attitudes and behaviors in the context of the gluten-free diet (GFD). No restrictions were applied regarding geography, language, or year. Searches were conducted across 10 electronic databases. Data were descriptively analyzed and presented in tables or diagrams, with a narrative synthesis aligned to the review objective.

Results

Studies from 13 countries were included and classified as quantitative (n = 16; 51.6%), qualitative (n = 11; 35.5%), or mixed-methods (n = 4; 12.9%). A total of 34 instruments were used, but only one was specifically designed to evaluate eating attitudes and behaviors in children and adolescents with CD.

Conclusions

Analysis of disordered eating in children and adolescents with CD remains methodologically heterogeneous and evolving. Quantitative studies predominate but often rely on non-specific instruments that blur the distinction between adaptive dietary vigilance and disordered eating. Qualitative and mixed-methods approaches highlight lived experiences and reveal measurement gaps despite their higher costs. Progress depends on developing specific instruments for this population that better capture the complexity of GFD management across development.