Adaptation of the Multidimensional Body Self Relations Questionnaire for Young People Between 9 and 16 Years old.

Background: Young adolescents and pre-adolescents are the population most vulnerable to disorders derived from a distorted Body Image (BI). In this study, the Multidimensional Body Self Relations Questionnaire, MBSR®, was adapted and validated for young Spanish people between 9 and 16 years old.

Method: 719 young people of both sexes participated. The internal structure, the invariance of the measure according to sex and age, and evidence of validity and reliability of the measure were examined.

Results: the dimensional model found in adults was not replicated in young people. The simplest, best-fitting BI construct in young people, examined from the perspective of the BI construct contained in the MBSRQ®, consisted of 20 items in 4 differentially correlated factors. The internal consistency of the factors contained in the MBSRQ-SA-a was shown to be satisfactory, as was the evidence of concurrent validity. Factor invariance was demonstrated as a function of gender and three age groups.

Conclusions: the MBSRQ-SA-a is reliable and valid for the study of BI in young people aged 9-16 years to the extent permitted by the content of the 4 factors making it up.