Polish adaptation and validation of the Dieting Self-Efficacy Scale

BACKGROUND Dieting self-efficacy is defined as individual's belief in his or her ability to adhere to a diet in order to lose or maintain current weight. Self-efficacious individuals can overcome challenges and obstacles while dieting. The main objective of this study is to report the psychometric properties of the first Polish adaptation of the Dieting Self-Efficacy Scale (DIET-SE) of Christine Stich, Barbel Knauper, and Ami Tint. The original Canadian DIET-SE is a scenario-based scale assessing dieting self-efficacy for weight loss and maintenance. It consists of three subscales and assesses dieting self-efficacy for three different types of temptation situations. PARTICIPANTS AND PROCEDURE There were 552 students (age M = 20.32, SD = 2.98) participating in the study. The original Canadian Dieting Self-Efficacy Scale was translated into Polish, and its factor structure, reliability and construct validity were determined. RESULTS The study showed that the Polish version of the Dieting Self-Efficacy Scale is a reliable and valid scale. The obtained results support the same three-factor structure that was previously documented in the original version of the scale. CONCLUSION The Polish version of the DIET-SE can be used to identify personal factors that obstruct weight reduction or weight maintenance.