Comparing measurement of internalized weight stigma and body dissatisfaction

Dakota L Leget; Lara J LaCaille; Rebecca L Pearl

doi:10.1016/j.bodyim.2023.101622

Comparing measurement of internalized weight stigma and body dissatisfaction

Body Image. 2023 Dec:47:101622. doi: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2023.101622. Epub 2023 Sep 4.

Authors

Dakota L Leget¹, Lara J LaCaille², Rebecca L Pearl³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota Duluth, 320 BohH 1207 Ordean Court, Duluth, MN, 55812, USA; Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, University of Florida, 1225 Center Drive, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA. Electronic address: dakota.leget@ufl.edu.
² Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota Duluth, 320 BohH 1207 Ordean Court, Duluth, MN, 55812, USA.
³ Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, University of Florida, 1225 Center Drive, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA.

PMID: 37672860
DOI: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2023.101622

Abstract

Respective conceptualizations of internalized weight stigma and body dissatisfaction are distinct; however, strong relationships between measures of these two constructs prompts consideration about if these are truly unique constructs or whether current measurement tools are not adequately capturing their uniqueness. In this cross-sectional study, 480 U.S. women (78.8% white; M_BMI = 25.9) ages 18-40 years, recruited from Amazon's MechanicalTurk and a mid-sized university, completed an online survey with the Modified Weight Bias Internalization Scale (WBIS-M), a modified Body Parts Satisfaction Scale (BPSS), and other validated measures of body image, eating behavior, and mental health. Exploratory factor analysis of the WBIS-M and the BPSS supported a two-factor solution, although two items from the WBIS-M loaded with BPSS items. After removing these items, the 9-item version of the WBIS-M demonstrated stronger relationships with dysfunctional eating and mental health symptoms than did the BPSS (ꞵ range = 0.32-0.62 vs. 0.01-0.18, respectively). Findings from this study provide evidence to support the validity of WBIS-M and BPSS measuring unique constructs, suggesting that internalized weight stigma can be differentiated from body dissatisfaction. This study also highlights the need for further research that examines current measurement tools for internalized weight stigma and body dissatisfaction.

Keywords: Body dissatisfaction; Disordered eating; Internalized weight stigma; Measurement; Mental health; Psychometrics.

MeSH terms

Body Dissatisfaction*
Body Image / psychology
Body Weight
Cross-Sectional Studies
Female
Humans
Psychometrics
Social Stigma
Weight Prejudice*

Grants and funding

K23 HL140176/HL/NHLBI NIH HHS/United States