The brief body avoidance and checking scale for physically active men: development and initial validation

Abstract

The aim of this study was to develop and examine the psychometric properties of the Brief Body Avoidance and Checking Scale (BBACS) for physically active men. The BBACS is designed to assess the frequency of body checking and avoidance behaviors common among users of gyms and health clubs. Following development of an initial pool of items and content judgment, data from 325 men were collected from gym users and participants in organized sporting events. Confirmatory factor analysis showed a good fit for a model with two factors and 12 items. Satisfactory evidence of construct validity and internal consistency was also generated through analysis of factor loadings, t-values, correlations with drive for muscularity and body satisfaction measures, group differences, Cronbach’s alpha, and construct reliability tests. The BBACS appears to be a valid and reliable scale for assessing the frequency of body checking and body avoidance behaviors among physically active men.