Using psycho‐behavioral phenotyping for overweight and obesity: Confirmation of the 6 factor questionnaire

OBJECTIVE: Questionnaires that assess dietary habits, eating behaviors, and relevant psychosocial constructs are routinely used in obesity research and clinical practice. The 6 factor questionnaire (6FQ) was previously developed as an assessment tool for psycho‐behavioral phenotyping. The primary purpose of this study was to confirm and validate the original findings in a large diverse adult population. METHODS: A total of 5399 self‐selected participants (mean age of 48 ± 13 years and body mass index of 32 ± 8 kg/m(2)) completed the 6FQ online. The association between self‐reported demographic data and 6FQ responses was assessed using linear regression models. RESULTS: Mean factor score and odds ratio analyses consistently demonstrated a statistically significant relationship between factors and body weight even after adjusting for age, sex, and race/ethnicity. CONCLUSIONS: Although the study was correlational in design, the results demonstrate that the 6FQ, an instrument that represents multidimensional unhealthful lifestyle patterns associated with diet, physical activity, cognition, and self‐perception worsen with increasing body weight. Psycho‐behavioral phenotyping may be a useful approach when assessing and treating patients with obesity.