The Saudi-Arabic Adaptation of the Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ34): Psychometrics and Norms of the Full Version and the Short Version (BSQ8C)

Overview

Journal Front Psychol

Date 2022 Dec 19

PMID 36532987

Authors

Bernou Melisse

Eric F van Furth

Edwin de Beurs

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Introduction: Saudi Arabia experiences elevated levels of body-shape dissatisfaction which might be related to the increased thin ideal. Studies on body-shape dissatisfaction are scarce, mainly because adapted assessment tools are unavailable. This study describes the Saudi-Arabic adaptation of the Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ34), preliminary examines the psychometric properties and provides normative data.

Methods: The BSQ34 was administered in a convenience community sample ( = 867) between April 2017 and May 2018. Receiver-operating-characteristic curve analysis was used to establish discriminant validity, in a subsample ( = 602) in which the Eating Disorder Examination-Shape concern, was administered, the factor structure investigated with confirmatory-factor analyses and -scores and percentile scores were determined.

Results: The BSQ34 discriminated well between low and high levels of body-shape dissatisfaction (area-under-the-curve value = 0.93), had high internal consistency and a unidimensional factor structure, and 23.9% appeared at risk for body-shape dissatisfaction. Analyses were repeated for the shortened BSQ8C, which yielded similar results.

Discussion: The results indicated that the BSQ34 and BSQ8C appeared suitable measurement tools to screen for body-shape dissatisfaction in a Saudi convenience community sample, mainly comprised young, unmarried, and highly educated women. The BSQ34 supplies more information on the type of concerns respondents have, which is worthwhile when the measure is used in a clinical setting; the BSQ8C is recommended as a short screener. As body-shape dissatisfaction is viewed as a risk factor for the development of eating disorder symptoms, screening for body-shape dissatisfaction with reliable tools is important to detect individuals at risk for eating disorder symptoms and may suggest subsequent preventive steps.

Citing Articles

The association of binge eating with internet addiction, body shape concerns, and BMI among university students in the United Arab Emirates.

Radwan H, Abdelrahim D, Osaili T, Thabet Y, Barakat H, Khetrish M J Eat Disord. 2025; 13(1):21.

PMID: 39930515 PMC: 11809045. DOI: 10.1186/s40337-025-01205-1.

Body shape concerns, sexual satisfaction, and associated factors among patients with polycystic ovarian syndrome: A cross-sectional study in Western Saudi Arabia.

Alsaidan A, Thirunavukkarasu A, Alsulami H Saudi Med J. 2025; 46(1):94-101.

PMID: 39779357 PMC: 11717095. DOI: 10.15537/smj.2025.46.1.20240797.

The Dutch Body Shape Questionnaire among patients with binge-eating disorder: psychometrics and norms of the full version (BSQ34) and the short version (BSQ8C).

Melisse B, de Mooij L, de Jonge M, Schlochtermeier D, de Beurs E Eat Weight Disord. 2024; 29(1):72.

PMID: 39560838 PMC: 11576766. DOI: 10.1007/s40519-024-01699-9.

Assessment of Binge Eating Behavior, Body Shape Concerns, and Associated Factors among Female Adolescents of Northern Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Alhuwaydi A, Alqahtani A, Alsadun R, Alruwaili O, Thirunavukkarasu A, Abdel-Salam D Nutrients. 2024; 16(18).

PMID: 39339682 PMC: 11435104. DOI: 10.3390/nu16183082.

Systematic review of the epidemiology of eating disorders in the Arab world.

Melisse B, van Furth E, Hoek H Curr Opin Psychiatry. 2024; 37(6):388-396.

PMID: 39149886 PMC: 11426976. DOI: 10.1097/YCO.0000000000000960.

References

Welch E, Lagerstrom M, Ghaderi A . Body shape questionnaire: psychometric properties of the short version (BSQ-8C) and norms from the general Swedish population. Body Image. 2012; 9(4):547-50. DOI: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2012.04.009. View

Melisse B, Blankers M, de Beurs E, van Furth E . Correlates of eating disorder pathology in Saudi Arabia: BMI and body dissatisfaction. J Eat Disord. 2022; 10(1):126. PMC: 9404570. DOI: 10.1186/s40337-022-00652-4. View

Thomas J, OHara L, Quadflieg S, Weissgerber S . Acculturation, out-group positivity and eating disorders symptoms among Emirati women. Eat Weight Disord. 2017; 23(2):241-246. DOI: 10.1007/s40519-016-0358-5. View

Stice E, Shaw H . Role of body dissatisfaction in the onset and maintenance of eating pathology: a synthesis of research findings. J Psychosom Res. 2002; 53(5):985-93. DOI: 10.1016/s0022-3999(02)00488-9. View

Frederick D, Daniels E, Bates M, Tylka T . Exposure to thin-ideal media affect most, but not all, women: Results from the Perceived Effects of Media Exposure Scale and open-ended responses. Body Image. 2017; 23:188-205. DOI: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2017.10.006. View

OBrien A, Watson H, Hoiles K, Egan S, Anderson R, Hamilton M . Eating disorder examination: Factor structure and norms in a clinical female pediatric eating disorder sample. Int J Eat Disord. 2015; 49(1):107-10. DOI: 10.1002/eat.22478. View

Turk F, Kellett S, Waller G . Determining the potential links of self-compassion with eating pathology and body image among women and men: A cross-sectional mediational study. Body Image. 2021; 37:28-37. DOI: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2021.01.007. View

Eapen V, Mabrouk A, Bin-Othman S . Disordered eating attitudes and symptomatology among adolescent girls in the United Arab Emirates. Eat Behav. 2005; 7(1):53-60. DOI: 10.1016/j.eatbeh.2005.07.001. View

Carter J, Vartanian L . Self-concept clarity and appearance-based social comparison to idealized bodies. Body Image. 2021; 40:124-130. DOI: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2021.12.001. View

10.

Marano G, Cuzzolaro M, Vetrone G, Garfinkel P, Temperilli F, Spera G . Validating the Body Uneasiness Test (BUT) in obese patients. Eat Weight Disord. 2007; 12(2):70-82. DOI: 10.1007/BF03327581. View

11.

Alahmari T, Alomar A, Albeeybe J, Asiri N, Alajaji R, ALMasoud R . Associations of self-esteem with body mass index and body image among Saudi college-age females. Eat Weight Disord. 2017; 24(6):1199-1207. DOI: 10.1007/s40519-017-0471-0. View

12.

Al-Sendi A, Shetty P, Musaiger A . Body weight perception among Bahraini adolescents. Child Care Health Dev. 2004; 30(4):369-76. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2214.2004.00425.x. View

13.

Byrne S, Allen K, Lampard A, Dove E, Fursland A . The factor structure of the eating disorder examination in clinical and community samples. Int J Eat Disord. 2009; 43(3):260-5. DOI: 10.1002/eat.20681. View

14.

da Silva W, Dias J, Maroco J, Campos J . Confirmatory factor analysis of different versions of the Body Shape Questionnaire applied to Brazilian university students. Body Image. 2014; 11(4):384-90. DOI: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2014.06.001. View

15.

ROSEN J, Jones A, Ramirez E, Waxman S . Body Shape Questionnaire: studies of validity and reliability. Int J Eat Disord. 1996; 20(3):315-9. DOI: 10.1002/(SICI)1098-108X(199611)20:3<315::AID-EAT11>3.0.CO;2-Z. View

16.

Tylka T, Wood-Barcalow N . The Body Appreciation Scale-2: item refinement and psychometric evaluation. Body Image. 2014; 12:53-67. DOI: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2014.09.006. View

17.

Wu H, Estabrook R . Identification of Confirmatory Factor Analysis Models of Different Levels of Invariance for Ordered Categorical Outcomes. Psychometrika. 2016; 81(4):1014-1045. PMC: 5458787. DOI: 10.1007/s11336-016-9506-0. View

18.

Alkhadhari S, Alsabbrri A, Mohammad I, Atwan A, Alqudaihi F, Zahid M . Prevalence of psychiatric morbidity in the primary health clinic attendees in Kuwait. J Affect Disord. 2016; 195:15-20. DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2016.01.037. View

19.

Crawford J, Garthwaite P . Percentiles please: the case for expressing neuropsychological test scores and accompanying confidence limits as percentile ranks. Clin Neuropsychol. 2008; 23(2):193-204. DOI: 10.1080/13854040801968450. View

20.

Stice E . Risk and maintenance factors for eating pathology: a meta-analytic review. Psychol Bull. 2002; 128(5):825-48. DOI: 10.1037/0033-2909.128.5.825. View