Measuring body checking and avoidance in adolescents: validation of a behavioral questionnaire.

Clara Sophie Beer, Stephan Zillmer, Nelly Drießnack, Charlotte Jaite, Tanja Legenbauer

Abstract readValidation Study

In one paragraph

Article in BMC psychology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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5 authors.

Clara Sophie BeerLWL University Hospital Hamm for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatic, Ruhr-University Bochum, Hamm, Germany. clara.beer@ruhr-uni-bochum.de.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0007-5392-5612

Stephan ZillmerInstitute of Psychology, Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy of Childhood and Adolescence, University of Hildesheim, Hildesheim, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0002-7254-494X

Nelly DrießnackInstitute of Psychology, Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy of Childhood and Adolescence, University of Hildesheim, Hildesheim, Germany.

Charlotte JaiteInstitute of Psychology, Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy of Childhood and Adolescence, University of Hildesheim, Hildesheim, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3086-3897

Tanja LegenbauerLWL University Hospital Hamm for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatic, Ruhr-University Bochum, Hamm, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1580-9991

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundBody image distortion (BID) is central to eating disorder (ED) pathology and is closely linked to body dissatisfaction. While most questionnaires assess affective, cognitive, or perceptual components of body image, the behavioral component manifesting in body checking (BC) and body avoidance (BA) has received comparatively little attention. Given that EDs typically emerge during adolescence, validated measures of behavioral BID are particularly needed for this age group. The Body Checking and Avoidance Questionnaire (BCAQ) is the only instrument assessing both BC and BA, but it has not yet been validated in adolescents.

methodsThe present study aimed to evaluate the BCAQ in a clinical sample of female German adolescents with (atypical) anorexia nervosa. Factor structure, internal consistency, and convergent and known-groups validity were examined.

resultsAn initial confirmatory factor analysis of the original 27-item BCAQ indicated poor model fit. An exploratory factor analysis identified four items with low or inconsistent loadings. Analyses of the resulting 23-item version yielded a preliminary three-factor structure and demonstrated good reliability (Cronbach's α = 0.78-0.94) and satisfactory convergent validity, while known-groups comparisons provided limited and exploratory evidence, with a small group difference observed only for avoidance behavior.

conclusionThese findings provide preliminary evidence for the use of the adapted 23-item BCAQ to assess behavioral aspects of body image distortion in adolescents with (atypical) anorexia nervosa. Further longitudinal research is needed to evaluate the measure's temporal stability.

Indexed as

Anorexia NervosaBody ImageAdolescentFemaleHumansPsychometricsReproducibility of ResultsSurveys and QuestionnairesAdolescenceBody avoidanceBody checkingBody imageEating disorders

Identifiers

PMID42760571

DOI10.1186/s40359-026-05614-y

PMCPMC13589350

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.