# Assessing Weight Stigma: Validating Attitudes and Beliefs Questionnaires Among Future Healthcare Professionals

## TL;DR

This study validated two questionnaires to measure weight stigma among future healthcare professionals, showing they are reliable and useful for assessing stigma awareness.

## Contribution

The study validated the AFA and BAOP tools for use in healthcare students, offering a new method to evaluate weight stigma in this population.

## Key findings

- The AFA questionnaire showed good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.862) and a three-factor structure.
- The BAOP scale had a single-factor structure with adequate internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.781).
- Significant differences in stigma scores were found between students from different healthcare disciplines.

## Abstract

Background

This study aimed to establish the reliability and validity of the Anti-Fat Attitudes (AFA) questionnaire and the Beliefs About Obese Persons (BAOP) scale.

Methodology

A convenience sample of 257 students from three distinct sections of the University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Grigore T. Popa” Iasi (Medical Faculty, Nutrition and Dietetics, and Nursing) participated in an observational study. Construction validity was tested with exploratory factor analysis. The students completed a form containing sociodemographic data, the AFA questionnaire, and the BAOP scale. Weight and height were self-reported and used to determine the body mass index.

Results

The value of the Cronbach alpha coefficient for the AFA questionnaire indicated adequate internal consistency (0.862). The exploratory factor analysis identified the following three factors corresponding to the original questionnaire: Dislike, Fear of Fat, and Willpower. We validated a single-factor structure of the BAOP scale, which had adequate internal consistency (0.781). There were statistically significant differences (AFA: p = 0.02; BAOP: p = 0.03) between the scores of the students from Nutrition and Dietetics, Nursing, and General Medicine.

Conclusions

This study demonstrated that the AFA questionnaire and the BAOP scale could be used to evaluate weight stigma in healthcare students, providing a useful tool to assess the effects of weight stigma awareness interventions in this population.