Stages of change in obesity and weight management: factorial structure of the Italian version of the University of Rhode Island Change Assessment Scale

Purpose: To examine the factorial structure of the University of Rhode Island Change Assessment Scale (IT-URICA) for weight management in a sample of Italian overweight and obese patients enrolled in a nutritional rehabilitation program. Methods: 334 inpatients completed the translated and adjusted version of the IT-URICA at admission to the hospital. Psychometric testing included confirmatory factor analysis and internal consistency (Cronbach’s α). Results: The IT-URICA for weight management was successfully translated into Italian, and the factorial analysis confirmed the four-factor solution of the commonly accepted version of the measure. Conclusion: High levels of RTC are considered critical to the long-term success of weight management, and the IT-URICA may be an appropriate measure of motivational readiness for use among Italian overweight and obese patients. Its use is, therefore, recommended for clinical and research purposes.