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Fat phobia scale revisited: the short form
J G Bacon1, K E Scheltema, B E Robinson
1White Bear Lake Area Community Counseling Center, White Bear Lake, Minnesota, USA.
Summary
A new 14-item fat phobia scale offers reliable measurement for research and clinical use. This shortened version maintains strong correlation with the original 50-item scale, enhancing its utility.
Area of Science:
- Psychometrics
- Clinical Psychology
- Sociology
Background:
- The 50-item fat phobia scale is a widely used measure.
- A shorter, reliable version of the scale is needed for broader application.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a shortened version of the fat phobia scale.
- To assess the reliability and correlation of the short form with the original scale.
Main Methods:
- A 14-item short form was derived from the first factor of the original scale.
- Reliability was tested on a new sample (n=255) and compared with the original sample (n=1135).
- The short form's correlation with the 50-item scale was analyzed.
Main Results:
- The 14-item fat phobia scale-short form demonstrated excellent reliability.
- The short form strongly correlated with the original 50-item scale in both samples.
- Mean and 90th percentile scores were provided for both scale versions.
Conclusions:
- The shortened fat phobia scale enhances utility in research and clinical settings.
- Future research should establish general population norms and explore fat phobia in diverse demographics.
- Further investigation into fat phobia among males and different ethnic groups is recommended.
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