Weight stigma exposure inventory (WeSEI): Validity and reliability study of the Chinese version in Hong Kong

This study examined the validity and reliability of the Weight Stigma Exposure Inventory (WeSEI), Chinese version, among the Hong Kong population. The WeSEI was developed by Ruckwongpatr et al. (2025) and then translated by the present authors to Chinese for the Hong Kong population. The study recruited 949 Hong Kong adults (Meanage = 23.07; 68.6% female) to complete the 35-item WeSEI, a self-report instrument with seven factors (television sources, traditional media sources, social media sources, parental sources, extraneous sources, significant other sources, and friends sources). The seven factors assess how participants observed (or were exposed to) weight stigma from different sources. The psychometric properties of the scale analyzed in the present study included factor structure using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), internal consistency using McDonald's ω and Cronbach's α, discriminant validity using heterotrait-monotrait (HTMT) ratio, and convergent validity using average variance extracted (AVE) values. Pearson correlations with related measures, such as the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21), Tendency to Avoid Physical Activity and Sport (TAPAS), Weight Self-Stigma Questionnaire (WSSQ), and Perceived Weight Stigmatization Scale (PWSS), were used to assess WeSEI’s concurrent validity. The findings indicate that the WeSEI has a confirmed seven-factor structure, possesses high internal consistency, and exhibits acceptable convergent and discriminant validity. The WeSEI total score and its subscale scores showed statistically positive correlations with the other measures used. The WeSEI Chinese version can be used as a valid and reliable self-report psychometric tool for assessing Hong Kong participants' exposure to weight stigma in future research.