Applicability of the Ben-Tovim Walker Body Attitudes Questionnaire (BAQ) and the Attention to Body Shape scale (ABS) in Japanese males and females.

OBJECTIVES

To determine applicability of the Japanese-translated versions of the Ben-Tovim Walker Body Attitudes Questionnaire (BAQ) and the Attention to the Body Shape Scale (ABS) in Japanese males and females.

METHODS

The translated questionnaires were administered to Japanese living in Japan (84 males, 139 females) and also to 68 Japanese males living in Australia. The results were compared with 72 Australian males using the English version and also with previous results using Australian females.

RESULTS

Alpha levels from the two questionnaires ranged 0.70 to 0.87. Japanese groups showed significant (p<0.05) differences in the scores obtained from the BAQ compared to Australian males. The inter-subscale correlations for the BAQ were comparable regardless of ethnicity. Both questionnaires also correlated with the 26-item Eating Attitudes Test scores (p<0.01).

DISCUSSION: The current study suggests that both BAQ and ABS are adequate for use in Japanese males and females to assess their body attitudes.