Adaptation and validation of the Anti-Fat Attitudes Scale for the Colombian adolescent population

Introduction: In Colombia, 56.4% of the population lives with excess weight, which not only has medical implications but also poses risks to mental health due to negative attitudes and discrimination. Despite the existence of instruments to measure these attitudes, there is no evidence of their application in Colombia. Therefore, this research aimed to adapt and validate the Anti-Fat Attitudes (AFA) Scale for Colombian adolescents. Method: The AFA was applied to 662 participants from 12 to 19 years of age from various departments of Colombia. Content validity, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, and convergent validity analyses were conducted. Results: The AFA showed high internal consistency (McDonald´s Omega .85) and a three-dimensional model in which item 2 was removed due to insufficient values. Significant correlations were found between the AFA and the Body Image State Scale, supporting its convergent validity. Conclusions: The AFA is a valid and reliable measure for assessing negative attitudes towards obesity in Colombian adolescents, with implications for clinical practice and health research. Further research is needed to address limitations, strengthen the scale’s validity and reliability, and develop specific interventions based on its results.