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. 2020 Jun:33:137-151.
doi: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2020.02.013. Epub 2020 Mar 7.

A bifactor analysis of the Weight Bias Internalization Scale: What are we really measuring?

Angela Meadows  1 , Suzanne Higgs  2
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A bifactor analysis of the Weight Bias Internalization Scale: What are we really measuring?

Angela Meadows et al. Body Image. 2020 Jun.

Abstract

Internalized weight stigma (IWS) has been linked with disordered eating behavior, both directly, and as a mediator of the relationship between experienced weight stigma and maladaptive coping. However, the construct of IWS is highly correlated with the related constructs of body image and global self-esteem, and the three constructs may better be represented by underlying trait self-judgment. This overlap is not generally accounted for in existing studies. The present study investigated the shared variance between self-esteem, body image, and IWS in an international sample of higher-weight individuals. Bifactor analysis confirmed that the intermediary role of IWS in the relationship between experienced stigma and self-reported eating behavior was largely accounted for by aspects of body image and global self-esteem. Greater conceptual clarity in the study of IWS is needed to understand the mechanisms via which societal weight stigma impacts on individuals' self-directed judgments and downstream health-related behaviors.

Keywords: Bifactor analysis; Body image; Disordered eating; Internalized weight stigma; Self-esteem; Self-judgment.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Competing Interest None.

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