Confirmatory factor analysis of the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire for Weight-Related Difficulties-Revised (AAQW-R) in a United States sample of adults with overweight and obesity

Abstract

ObjectiveTo examine the psychometric properties of the English language version of the 10-item Acceptance and Action Questionnaire for Weight-Related Difficulties-Revised (AAQW-R) in a United States (U.S.) sample of women and men with overweight/obesity (OW/OB). MethodAdults with OW/OB seeking weight loss (N = 283; 59% women) completed the AAQW-R and other weight-related and psychosocial measures. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to examine single-factor, three-factor, and second-order factor structures of the AAQW-R, which were previously examined in a sample of Portuguese women. A chi-square difference test was used to compare the fit of a single-factor structure with three-factor and second-order factor structures. Internal reliability and convergent validity were examined for the total and three-factor subscale scores. ResultsThe single-factor structure evidenced poor fit to the data whereas the three-factor structure evidenced acceptable fit. The second-order structure was assessed qualitatively due to limitations to statistical model specification. The internal reliability of the AAQW-R total score and each of the three subscales were in the good and acceptable ranges, respectively. Total and subscale scores demonstrated good convergent validity. DiscussionFindings suggest that the English language version of the AAQW-R can be used to assess weight-related experiential avoidance in U.S. adult samples with OW/OB as a three-factor construct (food as control, weight as a barrier to living, weight stigma), with or without a total score. Additional research should confirm measurement invariance among various sociodemographic groups.