Burcu Şentürk ARSLANOĞLU, Sinem BAYRAM, Atahan ALTINTAŞ
Turkish Journal of Public Health - 2026;24(1):350-361
Objective: Social support during the weight management process is important in terms of ensuring healthy and successful progress. There is a lack of a valid and reliable scale to determine social support during the weight management process. In order to fill this gap, the study aims to evaluate the Turkish validity and reliability of the Weight-Related Interactions Scale (WRIS). Methods: The scale developed in 2021 consists of 41 items and 3 sub-dimensions. The study was conducted in face-to-face interviews with adult individuals who received diet treatment for at least 3 months at a private diet Clinic in Başkent University between February 2022 and December 2023. A total of 230 individuals, 89 men and 141 women, with a median age of 33 years, participated in the study. Results: Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was performed as an initial step in evaluating the validity of the Turkish version of the WRIS. Consistent with the original instrument, a three-factor structure was identified, explaining 72.28% of the total variance. Factor loadings across subdimensions ranged from 0.559 to 0.864, indicating acceptable item performance. Internal consistency was excellent, with Cronbach's alpha values of 0.97 (Criticism), 0.96 (Minimization), and 0.97 (Collaboration). Model fit indices supported adequacy of fit (CFI=0.93, TLI=0.91, NFI=0.92, RMSEA=0.06).Conclusion: This is the first study validating the WRIS in a specific population. The findings indicate that the WRIS is a reliable tool for assessing the impact of the social environment on weight among Turkish adults.
