the validation of the persian version of sugar addiction questionnaire: factor structure, item analysis and model fit

Objective: excessive sugar consumption is a growing public health concern, with research suggesting it may function as an addictive substance. however, the lack of standardized tools to assess sugar addiction, particularly across cultures, remains a challenge. this study aims to validate the persian version of the sugar addiction questionnaire (saq) for use in iran.method: in this cross-sectional psychometric validation study, 504 persian-speaking adults (59.1% female, mean age = 29.8 ± 19.5 years) were recruited using convenience sampling from tehran health centers. participants completed the saq and yale food addiction scale (yfas 2.0), and participated in dsm-5-based semi-structured interviews for sugar addiction. factor analysis and reliability measures (cronbach’s alpha, test-retest, split-half) were used to assess the saq's validity and reliability.results: the persian saq demonstrated strong psychometric properties. factor analysis revealed a five-factor structure explaining 45.08% of the variance. concurrent validity was confirmed by significant correlations with the yfas 2.0 (r = 0.51, p < 0.001) and bmi (r = 0.55, p < 0.001). the scale showed a good model fit (cfi = 0.91, rmsea = 0.08), with acceptable reliability (cronbach’s alpha = 0.79) and a test-retest correlation of 0.54. the optimal cutoff for diagnosing sugar addiction was 9, with the area-under-the-curve (auc) of 98%.conclusion: the persian version of the saq is a reliable and valid tool for assessing sugar addiction in iran. this validated instrument can improve the diagnosis and understanding of sugar-related behavioral issues, supporting better public health strategies for managing excessive sugar consumption.