Negative Attitudes towards High Weight People in a Large Representative Sample of Czech Adolescents: Examining the Psychometric Properties of the Czech versions of Anti-fat Attitudes Questionnaire and Beliefs About Obese Persons Scale and Associations with Demographic Characteristics

Abstract

Abstract Background The purpose of the study was to evaluate anti-fat attitudes and beliefs about high-weight people in a nonclinical sample of Czech adolescents. An additional aim was to create a Czech version of the Anti-fat Attitudes Questionnaire (AFA) and Beliefs About Obese Persons Scale (BAOP) and to test their psychometric properties. Methods and Participants: Study participants were 3345 Czech adolescents aged 11–19. Participants filled out the sociodemographic questionnaire, AFA and BAOP. Results Confirmatory Factor Analysis confirmed a three-factor solution and adequate factor validity for AFA. For BAOP, a two-factor solution that accounted for the negative wording of items fit the data well. We observed an inverse association between age and BAOP score and AFA Fear of Fat subscale, but higher ages were associated with higher AFA Dislike subscale scores. Girls scored higher on the AFA Fear of Fat subscale relative to boys, while boys scored higher on the Dislike and Willpower subscales. Overall, higher anti-fat attitudes were seen in those with lower BMIs and those who had high-weight family members. Conclusion Characterizing anti-fat attitudes within a population is a critical component to understanding how best to address weight stigma. The translated tools are sound tools for the Czech environment.