The weight concerns scale in Australian adolescents: Factor structure, gender invariance, and screening utility

Despite the increased incidence of disordered eating among adolescents and low help-seeking rates, there is currently a lack of evidence supporting use of screening tools for this population. The present study aimed to address this gap by examining the factor structure, gender invariance, and psychological correlates of the Weight Concerns Scale (WCS) in a large sample of Australian adolescents to evaluate its potential suitability as a screening tool. Participants (n = 1022) aged 12-17 (M^age = 14.73; SD = 1.55) were recruited from five public secondary schools in South Australia between May and August 2023. All participants completed the WCS and psychological measures of life satisfaction, resilience, psychological distress, self-injurious thoughts and behaviours. Confirmatory factor analysis replicated the original one-factor structure: χ²(5) = 44.83, p < .001, RMSEA = 0.09, CFI = 0.99. Measurement non-invariance was found by gender and socio-economic-status, suggesting the scale functions differently across these subgroups. A cut-off score of ≥ 47 on WCS was associated with elevated psychological distress across all groups except for boys from lower socio-economic-status backgrounds. The present study is the first to apply confirmatory factor analysis to the WCS in adolescents. Future research needs to establish validity of the WCS as a screen in adolescents in terms of associations with ED psychopathology and behaviours. In addition, validation against diagnostic interview is crucial to establishing the WCS as a screening tool.