Psychometric Properties of the French Adaptation of the Multidimensional Body Self Relations Questionnaire–Appearance Scales

Abstract

The present study investigated the psychometric properties of the French adaptation of the Multidimensional Body Self Relations Questionnaire-Appearance Scales, a widely used instrument in body image research. The questionnaire is composed of five subscales: Appearance Orientation, Appearance Evaluation, Overweight Preoccupation, Self-classified Weight, and the Body Areas Satisfaction Scale. Exploratory factor analyses were conducted on a sample of 765 subjects for the first two subscales. As expected, the analyses yielded two factors: Appearance Orientation and Appearance Evaluation. Internal consistencies ranged between .66 and .88 and test-retest reliabilities ranged between .78 and .85 for the five subscales. Appearance evaluation and the Body Areas Satisfaction Scale showed good convergent validity with the Body Image Questionnaire. Validity was supported by comparing scores for sex, for groups according to body mass index (underweight, normal weight, overweight, and obese), and by exploring the influence of social desirability.