title: Measuring negative attitudes towards overweight and obesity in the German population - psychometric properties and reference values for the German short version of the Fat Phobia Scale (FPS).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Obesity is one of the leading public health problems worldwide. Obese individuals are often stigmatized and the psychosocial consequences of overweight and obesity are the subject of current research. To detect stigmatizing attitudes towards obese people, the Fat Phobia Scale (FPS) was developed in the USA in the early nineties. In addition, the 14-item short form of the FPS was constructed. The FPS belongs to the most commonly used instruments for measuring negative attitudes towards obese people because of its good psychometric properties. For the recently developed German short form of the FPS, however, the comprehensive investigation of the psychometric properties and the determination of reference values are still pending. Thus, the main objectives of this study were the evaluation of the psychometric quality of the scale as well as the calculation of reference values.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was based on a representative survey in the German general population. A sample of 1,657 subjects (18-94 years) was assessed via structured telephone interviews including the 14-item German version of the FPS. Descriptive statistics and inference-statistical analyses were conducted. Reference values in terms of percentage ranks were calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Substantial evidence for the reliability and validity of the German short version of the FPS was found. This study, for the first time in Germany, provides age-specific reference values for the German short form of the FPS allowing the interpretation of individual test scores.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Facing the far-reaching consequences of experienced stigmatization of obese individuals, these study results provide an important basis for further studies aiming at the investigation of negative attitudes towards overweight and obesity.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Social Medicine, Occupational Health and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Janine
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stein
authors.affiliation: Institute of Social Medicine, Occupational Health and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Melanie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Luppa
authors.affiliation: Institute of Social Medicine, Occupational Health and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany; Institute for Psychology, Faculty of Bioscience, Pharmacy und Psychology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Ulrike
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Ruzanska
authors.affiliation: Institute of Social Medicine, Occupational Health and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany; Leipzig University Medical Centre, Integrated Research and Treatment Centre (IFB) Adiposity Diseases, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sikorski
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Economics and Health Services Research, Hamburg Centre for Health Economics, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Hans-Helmut
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: König
authors.affiliation: Institute of Social Medicine, Occupational Health and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Steffi G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Riedel-Heller
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001294:Attitude to Health; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000523:psychology*; D050177:Overweight / Q000523:psychology; D010698:Phobic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011594:Psychometrics; D012016:Reference Values; D013240:Stereotyping; D055815:Young Adult