Psychometric Testing of the Walker\u27s Feelings and Thoughts About Weight Scale in Taiwan

Background: The majority of women do not return to their pre-pregnant weight after six weeks postpartum in Taiwan. Excessive postpartum weight retention or gain can lead to long-term obesity and increase a woman\u27s risk of major health problems. Trends among Taiwanese women reveal an increasing prevalence of obesity. Limiting postpartum weight retention is important for preventing long-term obesity development. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine predictors of postpartum weight gain among Taiwanese women using the modified Thriving Model (Walker & Kim, 2002) as the guiding conceptual framework and to examine the psychometric properties of a Chinese Version of the Feelings and Thoughts About Weight (FATAW) scale. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive design and a convenience sample of postpartum women three-to-nine month postpartum were recruited over a 6-month period (September 2005 through February 2006). Setting: Waiting room of the well baby clinic which routinely takes place six days a week at a large Maternity Center in the Taipei metropolitan area, northern Taiwan. Human subjects approval was obtained through the University of San Diego as well as Institutional Review Boards associated with the Maternity Center. Data analysis: Descriptive statistics, correlations and factor analysis were used. Results: Findings indicated that CFATAW was a valid and reliable scale to measure postpartum women\u27s feelings and thoughts about weight in Taiwan. The Cronbach\u27s alpha reliability coefficient for the total scale was 0.89. Women with BMI equal or greater than 24.00 and weight retention in this study had a significantly higher relative risk of reporting higher level of weight-related distress in the early months after childbirth in Taiwan. Conclusions: The results of this study show that the measurement of weight-related feelings and thoughts in the Chinese version is content valid and the instrument is internally consistent and construct valid for use in Taiwan. Implications for nursing: The Chinese version of FATAW scale in this study contributed to understanding of feelings and thoughts about weight among postpartum women in Taiwan that affect factors related to postpartum weight retention. This study also provided initial validate and reliable instrument for further research on weight-related distress among Taiwanese postpartum women