Abstract
Body checking is considered an expression of an excessive preoccupation with appearance. The first aim of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of a Brazilian Portuguese version of the Body Checking Questionnaire (BCQ). Additionally, we wanted to examine the questionnaire’s associations with body avoidance behaviour, body mass index, dietary habits, and the intensity, frequency, and length of physical exercise. Finally, we also examined the differences between the total BCQ score and the individual BCQ factor scores. Differences between active and sedentary persons and between non-dieters and those on weight-loss diets were also analyzed. For the psychometric study, 546 female public university students from four different courses were surveyed. Two minor samples of university students and eating disorders women were also recruited. In the second part of the study, 403 women were recruited from weight-loss programs, gyms, and a university. All participants were verbally invited to participate in the research and voluntarily took part. Confirmatory factor analysis showed a good fit to the original model of the Brazilian BCQ that retained all 23 items. Satisfactory evidence of construct validity and internal consistency were also generated through analysis of factor loadings, t-values, Cronbach’s alpha, and construct reliability tests. The results also showed associations among body checking and body avoidance, body satisfaction, social anxiety, body mass index, and the frequency and intensity of physical exercise. Significant differences were found between non-dieters and weight-loss dieters for all BCQ factors and the total BCQ score. For physically active and sedentary persons, a significant difference was only observed for idiosyncratic checking behaviour. In conclusion, the BCQ appears to be a valid and reliable scale for Brazilian research, and the associations and differences found in this study suggest that women at gyms and especially in weight-loss programs should be targeted for future body checking studies.
Highlights
Body-image disturbance is a multifaceted construct involving both perceptual and attitudinal components
The original model was a good fit for the Brazilian data (2 = 730.01, p,.001; Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA) = .064, Goodness-of-Fit Index (GFI) = .98, Adjusted Goodness-of-Fit Index (AGFI) = .98, Normed- Fit Index (NFI) = .97, Comparative Fit Index (CFI) = .99, Nonnormed-Fit index (NNFI) = .99, 2/df = 3.21) (Figure 1)
We investigated correlations between body mass index (BMI), a direct measure of body satisfaction, social anxiety, and physical exercise habits with body avoidance and body checking behaviour
Summary
Body-image disturbance is a multifaceted construct involving both perceptual and attitudinal components These include feelings of having an inadequate body, anxiety about body shape or weight, preoccupation with the appearance of particular body parts, and cognitive distortions about body appearance or function [1]. Body checking and avoidance behaviours are recognized as the core manifestation of eating disorder psychopathology, defined as the overvaluation of body shape and weight [5]. Body checking plays an ambiguous role in accommodating anxiety while simultaneously maintaining a negative body image [2], [6]. It is more prominent during periods of fasting and weight loss for eating disorder patients [6]. In obese women and men, body checking may be a risk factor for eating disorders by magnifying perceived bodily imperfections which results in body dissatisfaction [10]
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