Examining the Psychometric Properties of the Czech Versions of Anti-Fat Attitudes Questionnaire (AFA) and Beliefs About Obese Persons Scale (BAOP) <subtitle>Weight Stigma Among Adolescents</subtitle>

Abstract

Abstract: Purpose: The study aimed to evaluate anti-fat attitudes and beliefs among Czech adolescents and develop a Czech version of the Anti-Fat Attitudes Questionnaire (AFA) and Beliefs About Obese Persons Scale (BAOP). Methods and Participants: A total of 3,345 Czech adolescents aged 11–19 years completed sociodemographics, AFA, and BAOP. Results: The confirmatory factor analysis confirmed a three-factor solution and adequate factor validity for AFA. For BAOP, our data did not support the one-factor solution. The bifactor solution that accounted for the negatively formulated items fit, however, the data well. We also found both questionnaires to be invariant by sex. Age was inversely associated with BAOP and AFA Fear of Fat; higher ages were associated with higher AFA Dislike subscale scores. Girls scored higher on AFA Fear of Fat and boys on Dislike and Willpower. Limitations: Only Czech adolescents were included as participants, which could limit the applicability of the results to other age groups or cultural contexts. Furthermore, the use of self-report measurements introduces the potential for response biases. Conclusion: The Czech versions of both questionnaires demonstrated acceptable psychometric properties, but further research is needed to explore the wording effect for BAOP.

Keywords

• adolescence
• obesity
• stigma
• psychometrics
• anti-fat attitudes