Validation of the Body Image Acceptance and Action Questionnaire in Turkish: The Role of Flexibility in Body Image in Relation to Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Beliefs and Disordered Eating

Body image flexibility (BIF), which refers to one's ability to respond adaptively to body experience-related perceptions, emotions, thoughts, beliefs, and sensations, may play a crucial role in the development, maintenance, and treatment of eating disorders.However, the potential mediating role of BIF in the relationship between personality beliefs and disordered eating has not yet been explored.The present study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of the Body-Image Acceptance and Action Questionnaire (BI-AAQ) and to investigate how BIF affects the association between obsessive-compulsive personality beliefs (OCPB) and disordered eating.This cross-sectional study was conducted using convenience sampling in a general adult population (n=388).All participants anonymously completed the BI-AAQ, Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q), Personality Beliefs Questionnaire-Short Form (PBQ-SF), Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ-34), and Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II (AAQ-II).The original one-factor structure was confirmed for the Turkish version of the BI-AAQ and showed good internal consistency and concurrent validity.Furthermore, this study revealed that BIF, as measured by the BI-AAQ, fully mediated the relationship between OCPB and disordered eating.Our findings suggest that the BI-AAQ is a valid and reliable measure for the Turkish population.Aligned with the psychological flexibility model, the results of this study enhance our understanding of the relationship between personality beliefs and eating pathology.Furthermore, interventions targeting BIF may serve as a effective preventive interventions to reduce the risk of eating disorder onset among individuals with obsessive-compulsive personality disorder.