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 alpha).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.