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. 2022 Mar;27(2):737-749.
doi: 10.1007/s40519-021-01208-2. Epub 2021 May 26.

Measuring social processes regarding eating, physical activity, and weight in higher-weight people: the weight-related interactions scale (WRIS)

Elizabeth Rieger  1 , Yee Fong Lee  2 , Conal Monaghan  2 , Kristy Zwickert  2 , Kristen Murray  2
Affiliations

Measuring social processes regarding eating, physical activity, and weight in higher-weight people: the weight-related interactions scale (WRIS)

Elizabeth Rieger et al. Eat Weight Disord. 2022 Mar.

Abstract

Purpose: This study sought to develop a psychometrically sound measure to assess effective and ineffective forms of input from others regarding eating, physical activity, and weight in higher-weight people, namely, the Weight-Related Interactions Scale (WRIS).

Methods: Participants (n = 736) were adults in the overweight/obese weight ranges who completed the WRIS and measures of weight-specific social support, emotional eating, weight stigma, eating-specific self efficacy, and social desirability.

Results: Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses of the WRIS supported a three-factor solution of 'Criticism', 'Minimization', and 'Collaboration' as forms of weight-related input from others. Support was found for the reliability and the concurrent, convergent, and divergent validity of the WRIS.

Conclusions: The WRIS is a promising new instrument for comprehensively assessing the input of others in relation to eating, physical activity, and weight among higher-weight individuals.

Level of evidence: Level III. Evidence obtained from well-designed cohort or case-control analytic studies.

Keywords: Obesity; Overweight; Questionnaire; Social support; Social undermining.

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