ABSTRACT
The aim of this study is to assess the validity and reliability of a Turkish version of the Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ) among young people. The BSQ was initially administrated to female high school students (N = 665) and administered a second time to a subset of subjects (N = 144). The subjects also completed the Eating Attitudes Test, the Body Image Satisfaction Questionnaire (a dieting questionnaire) and the Hopkins Symptom Checklist (SCL-90), and were weighed, and their body mass indices were calculated. Test-retest reliability of the BSQ was 0.81. The BSQ score correlated highly with the Eating Attitudes Test, Body Image Satisfaction Questionnaire and the Hopkins Symptom Checklist. Higher BSQ scores were also associated with higher body mass index. The results suggest that the Turkish version of BSQ is a valid and reliable tool for assessing body image concerns in teenagers.
Subject(s)
Body Image , Body Mass Index , Surveys and Questionnaires/standards , Adolescent , Female , Humans , Personal Satisfaction , Pilot Projects , Somatotypes/physiology , Students/psychology , Surveys and Questionnaires/statistics & numerical data , TurkeyABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: The current study examined the roles of body image, ideal body weight, self-perception, and body mass index (BMI) on the dieting behavior of Turkish adolescents. METHOD: The 531 subjects who participated in the study ranged from 15 to 17 years old and were recruited from five selected high schools in Ankara. They completed the Self-Perception Profile for Adolescents (SPPA), the Body Image Satisfaction Questionnaire (BISQ), and the Dieting Status Measure (DiSM). Height and weight were measured. RESULTS: Dieting adolescents received significantly lower scores than nondieters for most of the BISQ items and for the physical appearance and global self-worth subscales of the SPPA. A thinner body ideal, the physical appearance domain of self-concept, and low global self-worth were the predicting factors of frequent dieting. However, BMI and body image dissatisfaction were not predicting factors. DISCUSSION: The results indicate that a thinner body ideal, low self-worth, and low physical self-concept have more significant effects on body dissatisfaction and dieting than being actually overweight does. Furthermore, high physical self-concept scores and body satisfaction may not necessarily preclude having a thinner body ideal and, hence, dieting in girls.
