OBJECTIVE: To develop a reliable and valid measure of distress, related to extreme obesity. DESIGN: Items related to distress over obesity were selected from the literature, clinical experience and from input provided by a gastroplasty patient support group. The items were assessed in a longitudinal study, with the body mass index (BMI) and psychological assessment occurring 2 ± 6 months prior to, and 12 months following, gastroplasty surgery. SUBJECTS: 81 females and eight males (mean age 35.9 y) who had been accepted for gastroplasty surgery. All but two of the patients had BMIs b 40 (Mean 48.11, s.d. 6.84). MEASUREMENTS: BMIs were calculated using weight and height. Psychological characteristics were assessed using the Mental Health Inventory (MHI), the Sickness Impact Pro®le (SIP), and the Eating Inventory (EI). Demographic information was collected with a questionnaire. RESULTS: Attempts to factor analyse the 95 item questionnaire were unsuccessful. Alternatively, a shorter, 20 item questionnaire was developed. The questionnaire shows good test-retest reliability (r 0.867), good internal consistency (coef®cient alpha 0.719) , good face and construct validity, and is sensitive to pre-post surgical change. CONCLUSIONS: The Obesity Adjustment Survey (OAS) may be useful as a brief measure of distress in obese individuals. This measure can be used to index the psychological impact of gastroplasty surgery on psychological functioning, and can be used in future research as a disease-speci®c measure to predict success of surgery.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.