Assessing Body Esteem in Adolescents: psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the Body Esteem Scale (BESAA-S)

Abstract

Background “How do I perceive my own body?“ is a central question during adolescence, which addresses the subjective assessment of body image, called Body Esteem. Although concern about body esteem increases during adolescence, there is a lack of psychometrically validated measures to assess it specifically among Spanish adolescents. Objective This study aims to validate the Body-Esteem Scale for Adolescents and Adult populations (BESAA), a widely used measure of body esteem across cultures, among the Spanish adolescent population. Methods The cross-cultural adequacy and acceptability of the Argentinian-Spanish version by Forbes et al., (2012) were pilot tested and the questionnaire was completed by 1,258 students (Mage = 15.56). Next, several psychometric analyses were carried out: exploratory (AFE) and confirmatory (CFA) factorial structure, convergent and discriminant validity, nomological validity, internal consistency, and temporal reliability. Results The AFE and CFA supported a reduced Spanish version of the BESAA of 14 items (BESAA-S) and maintained the original three-factor structure (BE-Weight, BE-Appearance, and BE-Attribution subscales). The BESAA-S showed acceptable internal consistency and strong test-retest reliability. Discriminant validity between subscales was appropriate, and convergent validity was appropriate except for the BE-Attribution subscale. Nomological validity was supported through significant correlations with body appreciation, general self-esteem, sociocultural attitudes towards appearance, and disordered eating symptoms. Body esteem was negatively associated with weight status. Conclusions This study presents a culturally appropriate, shortened Spanish BESAA as a reliable instrument for body esteem assessment among Spanish speaking adolescents.

The Persian version of the body esteem scale among Iranian adolescents: a translation, psychometrics, and network analysis

“…In fact, it indicates that the items of the questionnaire are measuring a similar concept, and the items on the scale are accurate, reliable, repeatable, and desirable. The reliability of the Spanish ( Beltrán-Garrayo et al, 2022 ), Italian ( Confalonieri et al, 2008 ), and Turkish ( Arslan et al, 2020 ) translations of this scale was also proven to be adequate. The results of all the studies identified are consistent with the findings of this study.…”

“…Overall, these findings support the validity of the body esteem scale as a measure of body esteem among 12–18-year-old Iranian adolescents. The body esteem scale developed by Mendelson has been psychometrically tested in several populations and cultures, including Spanish ( Beltrán-Garrayo et al, 2022 ), Italian ( Confalonieri et al, 2008 ), and Turkish adolescents ( Arslan et al, 2020 ), and its validity has been confirmed. In the Spanish version, like in the present study, three factors were extracted with 62.44% of the total variance ( Beltrán-Garrayo et al, 2022 ).…”

“…The body esteem scale developed by Mendelson has been psychometrically tested in several populations and cultures, including Spanish ( Beltrán-Garrayo et al, 2022 ), Italian ( Confalonieri et al, 2008 ), and Turkish adolescents ( Arslan et al, 2020 ), and its validity has been confirmed. In the Spanish version, like in the present study, three factors were extracted with 62.44% of the total variance ( Beltrán-Garrayo et al, 2022 ). Furthermore, in line with the present study, three components were extracted with 57% of the variance from the Italian version ( Confalonieri et al, 2008 ).…”

“…The body esteem scale developed by Mendelson has been psychometrically tested in several populations and cultures. It has also been translated into and validated in Spanish ( Beltrán-Garrayo et al, 2022 ), Italian ( Confalonieri et al, 2008 ), and Turkish ( Arslan et al, 2020 ).…”

Validation of a Latin-American Spanish version of the Body Esteem Scale for Adolescents and Adults (BESAA-LA) in Colombian and Nicaraguan adults

“…The English version has also been adapted to different cultural contexts in urban India [ 24 ] and Singapore [ 13 ]. The BESAA has been translated into Argentinian Spanish by Forbes et al [ 22 ], but its psychometric validity was only assessed ten years later in adolescents in Spain [ 4 ]. None of the validation studies described were able to reproduce the original factor structure including all 23 items.…”