Factor structure and measurement invariance of the Weight-Related Abuse Questionnaire (WRAQ).

Weight-related abuse is defined as verbal or physical maltreatment specific to one's weight. The Weight-Related Abuse Questionnaire (WRAQ) is an instrument specifically designed to measure weight-related abuse. The main goal of this research was to study the factor structure and measurement invariance of the Spanish version of the WRAQ in a non-clinical and a clinical sample. The clinical sample included 150 participants with obesity (60 % women) from the Hospital de Valme (Sevilla, Spain). The non-clinical sample included 301 students (79 % women) from the Spanish Open University (UNED). Scales to measure weight self-stigma and fear of gaining weight were used to analyze the convergent validity of the WRAQ. A confirmatory factor analysis showed that a two-factor model (verbal and physical abuse) was an acceptable fit for the data in both the clinical and non-clinical samples. Multigroup Confirmatory Factor Analysis revealed scalar measurement invariance by sample and gender. Cronbach's alpha coefficients and composite reliability for both samples were found to be good, with values ranging from 0.83 to 0.96. Fear of gaining weight was correlated to verbal (r = 0.36, p < .01) and physical (r = 0.12, p < .05) abuse, and weight self-stigma was also related to physical (r = 0.21, p < .01) and verbal (r = 0.41, p < .01) abuse. These results suggest that the WRAQ can be used in clinical and non-clinical samples to assess verbal and physical abuse in both men and women.

The Mediational Effect of Weight Self-Stigma in the Relationship between Blatant and Subtle Discrimination and Depression and Anxiety.

Obesity may be considered a social stigma. In addition, people with obesity are frequently aware of stigma directed at others who have a similar weight and come to think stigmatized thoughts about themselves. Our study focused specifically on how blatant and subtle discrimination and weight self-stigma are related to depression and anxiety in people with obesity. The sample comprised 170 participants from the Clinical Nutrition Unit of the "Hospital de Valme" (Seville, Spain). The Weight Self-Stigma Questionnaire, the Multidimensional Perceived Discrimination Scale, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale were used. It was found that blatant and subtle discrimination and weight self-stigma were positively related to depression (.31, .38, and .45 respectively) and anxiety (.30, .36, and .49 respectively; all ps < .01). The path analysis conducted showed that there was a mediational effect of weight self-stigma between blatant (ß = .36) and subtle discrimination (ß = .40) and depression (ß = .24) and anxiety (ß = .49; all ps < .01). According to these results, it can be said that weight self-stigma was a full mediator in the model found because the relationships between the independent and the dependent variables were non-significant. Finally, results are discussed in the frame of the obesity stigma literature, and some clinical implications of the results of the study are suggested.

Psychological well-being in a sample of obese patients compared with a control group.

INTRODUCTION: The literature has found that obese patients usually report more depression and anxiety than normal weight individuals. However, not many investigations have studied the relationship between obesity and quality of life from a Positive Psychology approach. OBJECTIVE: In this study it is analyzed if obese patients have less psychological well-being than a control group (normal weight participants). METHOD: A total of 221 participants (111 obese individuals and 110 controls) were selected to conduct the study. To measure psychological well-being, the Spanish version of the Ryff's Scales was used. To measure mental health, the Spanish version of the mental health component of the Short Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36) was used. RESULTS: It was found that obese participants reported less psychological well-being than normal weight individuals, but that there were not statistically significant differences in the case of mental health measured with the SF-36. DISCUSSION: According to the results, it can be concluded that reports of psychological well-being problems were much more common in participants with weight problems than in the control group.

INTRODUCCIÓN: La literatura ha puesto de manifiesto que los pacientes obesos suelen padecer más depresión y ansiedad que los individuos de peso normal. Sin embargo, no son muchas las investigaciones que han estudiado la relación entre obesidad y calidad de vida a partir del enfoque de la Psicología Positiva . OBJETIVO: En este estudio se analizó si los pacientes obesos tienen menor bienestar psicológico que los de un grupo de control (participantes de peso normal ). MÉTODO: Se seleccionaron un total de 221 participantes (111 individuos obesos y 110 de control) para realizar el estudio. Para medir el bienestar psicológico, se utilizó la versión española de las escalas de Ryff. Para medir la salud mental, se utilizó la versión española del componente de salud mental de la Forma Abreviada de la Encuesta de Salud (SF- 36 ). RESULTADOS: Los participantes obesos mostraron menos bienestar psicológico que las personas de peso normal, pero que no hubo diferencias estadísticamente significativas en el caso de la salud mental medida con el SF- 36. DISCUSIÓN: De acuerdo con los resultados, se puede concluir que la expresión de problemas acerca del bienestar psicológico es mucho más común en los participantes con problemas de peso que en los del grupo de control.

Overt and subtle discrimination, subjective well-being and physical health-related quality of life in an obese sample.

Obesity represents a serious health issue affecting millions of people in Western industrialized countries. The severity of the medical problems it causes is paralleled by the fact that obesity has become a social stigma that affects the psychological health-related quality of life of individuals with weight problems. Our study, with 111 obese patients of a Spanish hospital, focused specifically on how overt and subtle discrimination is related to subjective well-being (affect balance and life satisfaction) and physical health-related quality of life. It was shown that overt (r = -.28, p < .01 with affect balance; r = -.26, p < .01 with life satisfaction) and subtle discrimination (r = -.28, p < .01 with affect balance; r = -.27, p < .01 with life satisfaction) were negatively linked with subjective well-being, and that there was a negative correlation between overt discrimination and physical health-related quality of life (r = -.26, p < .01). Additionally, it was found that overt discrimination was a mediator variable in the relationship between physical health-related quality of life and subjective well-being using the Baron and Kenny procedure. Finally, it is discussed the relationship between discrimination, subjective well-being and physical health-related quality of life in obese people.