The Body Uneasiness Test (BUT): development and validation of a new body image assessment scale.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the psychometric properties of the Body Uneasiness Test (BUT), a 71-item self-report questionnaire that consists of two parts: BUT*A which measures weight phobia, body image concerns, avoidance, compulsive self-monitoring, detachment and estrangement feelings towards one's own body (depersonalization); and BUT*B which looks at specific worries about particular body parts or functions.


METHODS
We recruited a clinical sample of 531 subjects (491 females) suffering from eating disorders and a general population sample of 3273 subjects (2016 females) with BMI <25 and Eating Attitudes Test-26 scores under the cut-off 20.


RESULTS
The exploratory and confirmatory analyses confirmed a structural five-factor model for BUT*A and an eight-factor model for BUT*B. Internal consistency was satisfactory. The test-retest correlation coefficients were highly significant. Concurrent validity with other tests (Eating Disorder Inventory, EDI-2; Eating Attitudes Test, EAT-26; Symptom Check List, SCL-90R and Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory, SEI) was evaluated. Normative values for BUT scores in non-clinical samples of normal-weight non eating disordered subjects, from adolescence to old age, males and females, were calculated. The differences between males and females were highly significant, above all in the 18-39-age range. As for the comparison between women with eating disorders and controls, the results demonstrated a good predictive validity for anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa.


CONCLUSIONS
The BUT is psychometrically sound. It can be a valuable tool for the screening and the clinical assessment of abnormal body image attitudes and eating disorders.
Cuzzolaro
M
M
Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Eating Disorders Unit, University of Rome La Sapienza, 00185 Rome, Italy. m.cuzzolaro@flashnet.it
Vetrone
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Marano
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Garfinkel
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PE
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000523:psychology; D001828:Body Image; D001835:Body Weight; D052018:Bulimia Nervosa / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011594:Psychometrics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012649:Self Concept; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires