An examination of the factor structure of the Goldfarb Fear of Fat Scale in clinical and non-clinical samples of Polish women

Abstract

Although associations between fear of fat and eating disorders (ED) have been frequently studied, it appears that the construct of fear of fat requires in-depth understanding to determine whether it is similar in individuals diagnosed with bulimia nervosa, anorexia nervosa, and individuals from the general population. The purpose of our study was to confirm the factor structure of the Goldfarb Fear of Fat Scale (GFFS) in clinical and non-clinical settings. This issue has not yet been investigated in the literature. Data were collected from 126 female patients diagnosed with ED and a total of 581 women from the general population. Our findings are highly consistent with the original single-factor structure of GFFS but only in the clinical sample. In the non-clinical sample, a good fit to the data has been achieved with a two-factor model composed of Fear of gaining weight and Fear of losing control over eating/weight. The Polish version of GFFS demonstrated good psychometric properties. It can be used as a fast screening tool to identify individuals with eating disorders and those at risk of developing such disorders. We recommend the two-factor model for non-clinical samples and the one-dimensional model for clinical samples for both research and practice.