title: Psychosocial functioning before and after surgical treatment for morbid obesity: reliability and validation of the Norwegian version of obesity-related problem scale.
abstract: Background. The aims of this study were to translate the Obesity-Related Problem scale (OP scale) into the Norwegian language and test its reliability, validity and responsiveness in a Norwegian sample. Method. The questionnaire (OP scale) was translated from the original language (Swedish) into Norwegian. Patients completed the questionnaire prior to and one year after sleeve gastrectomy. Internal consistency was evaluated using Cronbach's α. Construct validity was tested by correlating the OP-scale with the SF-36 and the Cantril Ladder using the Pearson correlation coefficient. An exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis was used to test the unidimensionality of the OP scale. Responsiveness was tested by assessing changes in the OP scale from baseline to one year post-surgery using the paired sample t-test. Floor and ceiling effect were calculated as percentages. Results. A total of 181 patients (123 women) accepted for bariatric surgery was included in the study. The mean age was 43.1 ± 12.5 years, and mean body mass index (BMI) before surgery was 45 ± 6.9. The mean value of the OP scale at baseline was 63.30 ± 24.43 (severe impairment) and 21.01 ± 20.98 at one year follow-up (mild impairment). Internal consistency was high at baseline (Cronbach's α 0.91). The floor effect was small at baseline and high at one year. The ceiling effect was small at baseline and at one year. Exploratory and conformatory factor analysis showed one factor with a high percent of explained variance. Correlations between OP scale at baseline, SF-36, Cantril Ladder and BMI were statistically significant and in the predicted direction to support validity of the Norwegian OP scale. After one year correlations between the change in OP scale and the change in SF-36 scores, Cantril Ladder and BMI were also statistically significant, except for the change in the Role Physical-scale. The OP scale showed greater responsiveness than either the SF-36 or Cantril Ladder. Conclusion. These results confirm that the Norwegian version of the OP scale is a valid and reliable instrument for measuring psychosocial functioning in patients with clinically severe obesity.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health Studies, Sogn og Fjordane University Collage , Førde , Norway ; Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care, University of Bergen , Bergen , Norway.
authors.forename: Anny
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aasprang
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health Studies, Sogn og Fjordane University Collage , Førde , Norway ; Department of Surgery, Førde Central Hospital , Førde , Norway.
authors.forename: John Roger
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Andersen
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgey, Voss Hospital, Helse Bergen Trust , Voss , Norway ; Centre for Health Research, Førde Hospital Trust , Førde , Norway.
authors.forename: Villy
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Våge
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health Studies, Sogn og Fjordane University Collage , Førde , Norway ; Department of Surgery, Førde Central Hospital , Førde , Norway ; Department of Community and Family Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine , Durham, NC , USA ; Quality of Life Consulting, PLLC , Durham, NC , USA.
authors.forename: Ronette L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Kolotkin
authors.affiliation: Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care, University of Bergen , Bergen , Norway.
authors.forename: Gerd Karin
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Natvig
keywords: OP-scale; Obesity; Obesity surgery; Psychosocial functioning; Quality of life; Questionnaires; Reliability; Validity