SCOFF Eating Disorder Questionnaire
A brief 5-item yes/no screener for the core features of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. The total is compared to the standard cutoff. Intended for use under clinician supervision.
This is a clinical instrument. It is not publicly self-administered — a clinician assigns it through a secure patient link.
At a glance
What it measures
The SCOFF questionnaire (Morgan, Reid, & Lacey, 1999) is a 5-item yes/no screen for the core features of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, published in the BMJ as a deliberately brief tool for non-specialist settings. Per the source, two or more positive answers constitute a positive screen.
As with the other brief screeners on this platform, a positive SCOFF indicates that a fuller eating-disorder assessment is warranted; it is not a diagnosis.
Psychometric properties
The notes below are reproduced from the platform's psychometrics register for this instrument — the same source-cited reliability, validity, and norms text that accompanies its downloadable report.
Adequate reliability for a 5-item screen; designed for rapid case-finding rather than severity grading (Morgan, Reid & Lacey, 1999).
At a cutoff of 2 or more, sensitivity is about 0.85-1.00 and specificity about 0.80-0.90 for anorexia and bulimia in the original validation (Morgan et al., 1999).
Developed in UK specialist and primary-care samples; two or more 'yes' responses indicate a likely eating disorder requiring assessment.
Example item
“Do you make yourself sick because you feel uncomfortably full?”
Illustrative only. During administration items are presented one screen-set at a time; response-key direction is never shown to respondents.
Scoring & interpretation
Item responses are summed to a total score and compared against published screening cutoffs.
| Band | Threshold | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|
| Screen negative | ≥ 0 | Fewer than two items endorsed. An eating disorder is unlikely based on this screen alone. |
| Screen positive | ≥ 2 | Two or more items endorsed — a positive screen; further assessment for an eating disorder is recommended. |
Source & citation
Morgan, J. F., Reid, F., & Lacey, J. H. (1999). The SCOFF questionnaire: assessment of a new screening tool for eating disorders. BMJ, 319(7223), 1467–1468. Freely available for clinical use.
Scoring. Cutoff threshold per Morgan, J. F., Reid, F., & Lacey, J. H. (1999). The SCOFF questionnaire. BMJ, 319(7223), 1467–1468 (a score of 2 or more indicates a positive screen).
SCOFF questionnaire (Morgan, J. F., Reid, F., & Lacey, J. H., 1999). Free for clinical and research use with attribution.
References
- Morgan, J. F., Reid, F., & Lacey, J. H. (1999). The SCOFF questionnaire: assessment of a new screening tool for eating disorders. BMJ, 319(7223), 1467-1468.