An initial psychometric evaluation and exploratory cross-sectional study of the Body Checking Questionnaire among Brazilian women

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

Experiences and Expectations in Practice in Physical Activities of People with Anorexia Nervosa

Through a descriptive exploratory study, in a qualitative perspective, body experiences and physical activities were investigated in people with anorexia nervosa, exploiting their motives, their expectations, their relationship with the exercise in the course of the disorder and the role of teacher of physical education. The data reinforce the need to provide a safe environment, respect with the individualities and aid in the recognition of the limits and bodily sensations in proposals for physical activities for people with Anorexia Nervosa.152698

Translation and validation of the Body Image Avoidance Questionnaire (BIAQ) for the Portuguese language in Brazil

Brazilian researchers have not been provided with instruments with which to investigate body image avoidance behaviors. The aim of this study was to translate and validate the Body Image Avoidance Questionnaire (BIAQ) for Brazil. The translation, synthesis, back-translation, Brazilian questionnaire formulation, and pretest were carried out in the first phase of the study. The study of the scale's psychometric properties was conducted in the second phase of the study. Brazilian BIAQ has 13 items and good adjustment indexes. There was a greater adherence to the sampling data in the model in which the avoidance of body image is maintained by control strategies, by the refusal of body exposure, and by strategies that accommodate tension. This work is expected to enable the comparison of international data and the performance of multicultural studies on body avoidance behavior, expanding research possibilities in Brazil and worldwide.41123624

INITIAL EVIDENCE OF THE RELIABILITY AND VALIDITY OF A THREE-DIMENSIONAL BODY RATING SCALE FOR THE CONGENITALLY BLIND

Research on body dissatisfaction has grown significantly. However, valid and reliable instruments for measuring body dissatisfaction in the congenitally blind have yet to be developed. In three studies, we report on development, test-retest reliability, and concurrent and content validity of the Three-dimensional Body Rating Scale (3BRS) for the congenitally blind. In Study 1, 58 people with congenital blindness (28 women, 30 men; M age = 36.7, SD = 13.1) numerically ordered models of the 3BRS and models of the Two-dimensional Body Rating Scale (2BRS), from very thin to the very fat. In Study 2, the construct validity and reliability of the 3BRS was assessed. The same participants from Study 1 chose the 3BRS model that represented their ideal body and the 3BRS model that represented their actual body. Two weeks later, a re-test was done. In Study 3, 16 experts judged the content validity of the 3BRS. The psychometric properties of the 3BRS, its utility, and its limitations are discussed along with considerations for future research.11619110

Checagem corporal, atitude alimentar inadequada e insatisfação com a imagem corporal de jovens universitários

OBJETIVO: O objetivo do estudo foi avaliar a checagem corporal, a atitude alimentar inadequada e a insatisfação corporal em universitários de ambos os sexos. MÉTODOS: Participaram 587 indivíduos (311 homens). Foram avaliados os comportamentos de checagem (mulheres - Body Checking Questionnaire; homens - Male Body Checking Questionnaire), as atitudes alimentares inadequadas (Eating Attitudes Test-26) e a insatisfação corporal (Body Shape Questionnaire). Massa corporal e estatura foram autorreferidas para o cálculo do índice de massa corporal (IMC). Foi realizada estatística descritiva, inferencial e teste qui-quadrado (teste exato de Fisher) utilizando o software Statistic 8.0 e adotado nível de significância de 5%. RESULTADOS: A checagem corporal está associada às atitudes alimentares inadequadas e à insatisfação corporal, independentemente do sexo do indivíduo. Foram encontradas diferenças entre o sexo feminino e masculino para as variáveis avaliadas, sendo maior a frequência entre as mulheres. CONCLUSÃO: Concluiu-se que a checagem corporal é um comportamento presente e de alta frequência em universitários com risco para o transtorno alimentar e também naqueles insatisfeitos com sua imagem corporal