Polish adaptation and validation of the Anti-Fat Attitudes Scale - AFAS.

Background: Bias, stigma, and discrimination in relation to weight are frequently experienced by many obese people. The goal of the present study was to develop a Polish adaptation of the Anti-Fat Attitudes Scale (AFAS) proposed by Morrison and O'Connor. Material/Methods: The study was conducted on undergraduate students of the University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn. The original Canadian Scale Anti-Fat Attitudes Scale was translated into Polish, and its factor structure, reliability and construct validity were determined. Results: The exploratory factor analysis (Study 1) supported the development of the Polish version of the Anti- Fat Attitudes Scale with a one-dimensional structure modeled on the original version of the scale (factor loading ranged from .71 to .85). The confirmatory factor analysis (Study 2) validated the one-factor structure of the tool with high values of GFI and AGFI (above .95) and an acceptable value of RMSEA (RMSEA =.07). The results of the analysis revealed that satisfactory stability was maintained over a 4-week period. The validity criterion was confirmed based on correlations with the constructs that were theoretically linked to this phenomenon. Conclusions: The Polish version of the AFAS can be used to measure negative attitudes toward overweight individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]