The aim of this study was to develop a measure based on the Health Belief Model which can provide a reliable and valid evaluation of obese individuals’ belief and attitudes towards obesity. The sample of the study that was conducted between July 2008 and May 2010 included 400 obese individuals who presented to the obesity clinics in Ege University Medical Faculty and Celal Bayar University Medical Faculty Hospitals. Obesity questionnaire form and Health Belief Model Scale in Obesity (HBMSO) developed by the investigator to collect data about sociodemographic and obesity characteristics of obese individuals as well as the health belief in obesity were applied with face-to-face interviews. The HBMSO was applied with face-to-face interviews again in the following three weeks to test the reliability of the scale. The analiysis of date was The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) for Windows 13.0. A principal component factor analysis was used to measure the construct validity of the HBMSO. Five factor groups were obtained as a result of the factor analysis. These five factors formed the domains of the HBMOS that included 32 items prepared as five point Likert scales. Total item correlation analysis was positive for all domains (>0.70 p0.60 p
Key words: Obesity, health behavior, attitude, belief Article Language: Turkish English
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