Body appreciation around the world: Measurement invariance of the Body Appreciation Scale-2 (BAS-2) across 65 nations, 40 languages, gender identities, and age

The Body Appreciation Scale-2 (BAS-2) is a widely used measure of a core facet of the positive body image construct. However, extant research concerning measurement invariance of the BAS-2 across a large number of nations remains limited. Here, we utilised the Body Image in Nature (BINS) dataset - with data collected between 2020 and 2022 - to assess measurement invariance of the BAS-2 across 65 nations, 40 languages, gender identities, and age groups. Multi-group confirmatory factor analysis indicated that full scalar invariance was upheld across all nations, languages, gender identities, and age groups, suggesting that the unidimensional BAS-2 model has widespread applicability. There were large differences across nations and languages in latent body appreciation, while differences across gender identities and age groups were negligible-to-small. Additionally, greater body appreciation was significantly associated with higher life satisfaction, being single (versus being married or in a committed relationship), and greater rurality (versus urbanicity). Across a subset of nations where nation-level data were available, greater body appreciation was also significantly associated with greater cultural distance from the United States and greater relative income inequality. These findings suggest that the BAS-2 likely captures a near-universal conceptualisation of the body appreciation construct, which should facilitate further cross-cultural research

Task Performance: Effects of Motivation and Sex

No Abstract Available African Journal for the Psychological Study of Social Issues Vol.5(1) 2000: 37-4

Psychological predictors of perceived quality of life among people living with HIV and AIDS in South West Nigeria

This study examined the dynamics of perceived social support and self-esteem in predicting perception of quality of life among People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in South West Nigeria. One hundred and fifty nine (159) PLWHA selected using the purposive sampling technique participated in the study; the sample was made up of 46 males and 113 females, aged between 19 and 72 years. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire. The result of the multipleregression analysis showed that perceived social support and selfesteem significantly jointly predicted perceived quality of life among  PLWHA (p< .05). Self-esteem significantly independently predicted perceived quality of life(p< .05) while perceived social support did not significantly predict perceived quality of life. A t-test indicated no gender differences in perception of quality of life. The study therefore concluded that  psychological interventions are required to shore-up the self-esteem of PLWHA alongside social support to enable  them to cope better and be more optimistic and positive in their perception of quality of life.Keywords: Social support, self-esteem, perceived quality of life, PLWHA, Nigeria, psychological

Psychosocial factors associated with smoking behavior among secondary school adolescents in Ibadan Metropolis

No Abstract.African Journal for the Psychological Study of Social Issues Vol. 8(2) 2005: 264-27

Gender Differences in Responsible Sexual Behaviour of In-School Adolescents

There are indications that gender influences involvement in risky activities including sexually risky behaviour. The present study therefore sought to explore gender differences in responsible sexual behaviour among in-school adolescents. Using a cross-sectional survey design, two hundred and fifty In-School adolescents drawn from Secondary Schools in Ondo State, South West Nigeria participated in the study. Participants were made up of 97 (38.8%) males and 153 (61.2%) females, with ages ranging from 11 to 23 years with a mean of 15.5 and standard deviation of 2.7. A structured questionnaire containing two sections was utilized for data collection. Section A tapped demographical information such as age, sex, an religion while Section B is the sexual behaviour scale developed by Oluwatelure, (2011). The Cronbach alpha of the scale in the present study was .90. T-test of independent means was used to test the hypothesis. Result revealed significant gender difference in responsible sexual behaviour ( t (246) = -4.08; p<.05). Female adolescents were found to show significantly higher positive disposition to responsible sexual behaviour than male adolescents. It is thus recommended that intervention be put in place to infuse the virtue and values of responsible sexual behaviour in males while effort should be made to sustain and improve on responsible sexual behaviour among females.Key words: Responsible, sexual, behaviour, adolescents, Nigeri

Psychological Consequences of Wife Abuse

The present study represents an attempt at contributing to literature by addressing an underresearched topic of considerable health concern. The study investigated the psychological consequences of wife abuse in three high density residential areas in Ibadan North Local Government Area of Ibadan. Four hundred and eighty women who were visited at home by the researchers participated in the study. Participants' mean age was 35.4 years with a standard deviation of 6.27. Interviews were conducted for participants, using standard and widely used measures of depression, self-esteem and wife abuse. Results indicated that all the participants reported at least some forms of spousal abuse. However, women who reported severe absue were significantly higher on the depression measure, t(2,478)=-10.22;

Adolescents\' Risky Sexual Behaviour and Efficacy of Psycho-Education Intervention Programme amoung Secondary School Students in Oyo State

No Abstract Available African Journal for the Psychological Study of Social Issues Vol.7(2) 2004: 205-21