Spanish Version of the Body Appreciation Scale (BAS) for Adolescents

Abstract

The need to study the positive aspects of body image led to the design of the Body Appreciation Scale (BAS). The aim of the present study was to develop a Spanish adaptation of the BAS for adolescents, testing its factor structure, construct validity and any differences between girls and boys. Participants were 312 adolescents aged between 12 and 20; there were 148 females and 164 males. The validation analysis of the BAS revealed a one-factor structure with adequate internal consistency (Cronbach's α = .908) and construct validity (correlations with body mass index, influence of the body shape model, perceived stress, coping strategies, self-esteem and variables from the Eating Disorders Inventory-2), as well as significant differences between boys and girls (p < .01). The BAS is suitable for administration in a Spanish adolescent population as a way of analysing the positive aspects of body image.

Eating attitudes, body image and risk for eating disorders in a group of Spanish dancers

“…In other studies with dance students, low self-esteem, high neuroticism, and high psychological distress have proved to be associated with ED as well as teasing for overweight and body image dissatisfaction (36). These results are not specific because the negative relationship between BMI-BAS and BASdrive for thinness has been reported in previous studies (15). The relationship between EAT-40 and self-esteem and GHQ scores was negative but not significant statistically.…”

“…Generally, body appreciation and body image quality of life seem to be negatively related to body dissatisfaction and drive for thinness, and positively related to self-esteem. In the case of body image quality of life, the relationship with drive for thinness/body dissatisfaction seems to be only clearly significant in women (15,16). On the other hand, body mass index (BMI) is positively correlated to disordered eating attitudes and body dissatisfaction (17,18).…”

“…Body Appreciation Scale (BAS) (15,26): This 13-item instrument comprises a single dimension and shows adequate internal consistency (Cronbach's α coefficient = 0.94) and construct validity. It seems to be useful for studying the positive aspects of body image.…”

Future directions for positive body image research

“…There are typically moderate to large negative correlations between measures of positive and negative body image (Tylka & WoodBarcalow, 2015) but unique relationships between positive and negative body image and other variables (e.g., Avalos et al, 2005;Tylka & Wood-Barcalow, 2015). Body appreciation is positively correlated with favorable appearance evaluation and body esteem and negatively correlated with body dissatisfaction, body surveillance, and body shame in both men and women (Avalos et al, 2005;Lobera & Ríos, 2011;Tylka & WoodBarcalow, 2015). In women, it is also negatively correlated with social physique anxiety, body image avoidance and body checking (Avalos et al, 2005;Lobera & Ríos, 2011;Tylka & Wood-Barcalow, 2015).…”

“…Body appreciation is positively correlated with favorable appearance evaluation and body esteem and negatively correlated with body dissatisfaction, body surveillance, and body shame in both men and women (Avalos et al, 2005;Lobera & Ríos, 2011;Tylka & WoodBarcalow, 2015). In women, it is also negatively correlated with social physique anxiety, body image avoidance and body checking (Avalos et al, 2005;Lobera & Ríos, 2011;Tylka & Wood-Barcalow, 2015). The correlation between body appreciation and body dissatisfaction is large for women (e.g., BAS-2 and a short form of the Body Shape Questionnaire, r = -.73) and men (e.g., BAS-2 and the Male Body Attitudes Scale, r = -.64; Tylka & Wood-Barcalow, 2015) and seems inconsistent with these being independent constructs.…”