Research into the detrimental effects of excessive exercise has been conceptualized in a number of similar ways,\nincluding ââ?¬Ë?exercise addictionââ?¬â?¢, ââ?¬Ë?exercise dependenceââ?¬â?¢, ââ?¬Ë?obligatory exercisingââ?¬â?¢, ââ?¬Ë?exercise abuseââ?¬â?¢, and ââ?¬Ë?compulsive\nexerciseââ?¬â?¢. Among the most currently used (and psychometrically valid and reliable) instruments is the Exercise\nAddiction Inventory (EAI). The present study aimed to further explore the psychometric properties of the EAI by\ncombining the datasets of a number of surveys carried out in five different countries (Denmark, Hungary, Spain, UK,\nand US) that have used the EAI with a total sample size of 6,031 participants. A series of multigroup confirmatory\nfactor analyses (CFAs) were carried out examining configural invariance, metric invariance, and scalar invariance. The\nCFAs using the combined dataset supported the configural invariance and metric invariance but not scalar\ninvariance. Therefore, EAI factor scores from five countries are not comparable because the use or interpretation of\nthe scale was different in the five nations. However, the covariates of exercise addiction can be studied from a\ncross-cultural perspective because of the metric invariance of the scale. Gender differences among exercisers in the\ninterpretation of the scale also emerged. The implications of the results are discussed, and it is concluded that the\nstudyââ?¬â?¢s findings will facilitate a more robust and reliable use of the EAI in future research.
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