Development And Validation Of The Adolescent Body Image Satisfaction Scale (ABISS): Implications For The Strength And Conditioning Professional

Abstract

The present research sought to develop and validate a novel instrument for the assessment of body image dissatisfaction and negative health behaviors in adolescent males. Additionally, this research was focused on providing a useful tool for the strength and conditioning professional to use when assessing clinical adolescent populations who may be at risk for body image disorders related to their sport performance. A comprehensive search of relevant medical and socio-behavioral databases was conducted for years 1990-2005 yielding 293 useable studies (244 empirical and 49 theoretical) for inclusion in a content analysis. Search terms included'body image,'‘adolescence,’‘satisfaction,’and ‘males.’ Statistically relevant interpersonal, intrapersonal, and social factors were coded and classified. The most statistically relevant factors were formulated into questions and subscales to form the overall pilot instrument. The instrument was piloted with a sample of 27 adolescent boys and was adjusted and revised based on feedback. The initial instrument was reviewed by a panel of five content area experts. Each of the 28 scale questions were evaluated for relevance and readability. Four out of five experts (80%) had to approve the question for it to be included in the scale. Content, face, discrepant, and convergent validity was established using the objective measures evaluated by the expert panel. Each of the final 28 questions was determined to be appropriate and valid to be included in the scale. Nine questions were omitted based on the evaluation and inclusion criteria. Initial pilot reliability was judge to be somewhat acceptable for the body image scale with a Cronbach's α = .66. Final reliability of the Adolescent Body Image Satisfaction Scale [ABISS] after the modification of 9 items was judged to be acceptable with a Cronbach's α = .82. Following the adjustments made to the ABISS during the pilot study, the instrument was used to study 330 adolescent males. Based on subjective as well as objective feed back, the ABISS appears to be a valid and reliable instrument that can be used to measure the psychobehavioral attributes of adolescent males pertaining to body image satisfaction. Strength and conditioning professionals should be aware of the psychological attributes of their athletes and clients as much as their physiologic attributes. Having an understanding of how adolescents view their bodies and the image of it will assist professionals in designing appropriate, health-promotive strength programs, while at the same time monitoring for signs of body image dissatisfaction, which can lead to negative health practices (e.g., performance-enhancing drug use, exercise addictions, disordered eating). The ABISS appears to be a valid and reliable instrument to assess for the aforementioned features, but should be further validated with other populations.