Development and Validation of the Iranian Body Image Scale (IBIS)

Background: Body dissatisfaction has been known as an important public health concern which can influence physical and psycho-social health of adolescents. Hence, health professionals need a valid and reliable tool to assess this problem and its related factors in youth. This study aims to develop and assess psychometric properties of an indigenous scale for evaluation of body image and to investigate its association with body weight status among Iranian adolescents.Methods: This study conducted on 857 adolescents who completed the Iranian body image scale (IBIS) and self-reported their body weight and height. Face, content and construct validity methods were used to assess validity of the IBIS. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was used to assess construct validity. Moreover, internal consistency of the scale was assessed by calculating Cronbach’s alpha coefficient (α), and test-retest reliability was examined using intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC). To compare the IBIS scores across sex and body weight status groups, the Mann–Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used, respectively.Results: Mean age and body mass index (BMI) of participants were 16.5±1.1 years and 22.4±4.5 kg/m2, respectively. The EFA showed a 10-factor construct which explained 57% of the variance. The Cronbach’s alpha coefficient for overall items of the scale was 0.896 and ranged from 0.42 to 0.92 for subscales. The test retest reliability result was acceptable for the IBIS (ICC= 0.805). The ICC values ranged from 0.753 to 0.990 for IBIS subscales. The IBIS total score was significantly higher in girls compared to boys (median (Q1-Q3): 32.2 (25.5-43.3) vs. 30.3(24.0-38.0); p<0.001). In girls, the IBIS total score was significantly lower in normal weight girls compared to their overweight (p=0.001), and obese (p=0.001) counterparts. This difference was not observed in boys. Conclusion: These findings support reliability and validity of the IBIS for assessment of body image in Iranian adolescents; this scale can be applied as an appropriate tool for assessment of body image in adolescents in related future studies. Current findings highlight considering body image as an important aspect of intervention programs targeting overweight and obesity in adolescents, specifically girls.

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