Adaptation and Validation of the Body Dissatisfaction Scale in Mexican Children

Body dissatisfaction is a risk factor for eating pathology, it is required reliable and valid instruments for its evaluation in child population, both in clinical and population settings. The objective of this paper was to obtain the exploratory and confirmatory validity and reliability of the Body Dissatisfaction Scale and correlations with age, the Perception of Teasing Scale (POTS) and Body Mass Index (BMI), in a sample of 378 children, girls (n=193) and boys (n= 185) ages eight to twelve (X=10.22 years; SD=0.94). No statistically significant differences were found by sex or age. Items were grouped into a conceptually clear, statistically robust factor, with confirmatory factor analysis yielding adequate indices of goodness of fit, with a McDonald’s Omega of .88. Correlations with POTS and BMI were positive and statistically significant. The adapted version of the Body Dissatisfaction Scale to the Mexican child population constitutes a useful instrument for evaluating body dissatisfaction.