Sociocultural attitudes towards appearance questionnaire-4-revised (SATAQ-4R): validation in a community sample of Norwegian adolescents.

Abstract

Background: Negative body image and disordered eating are common among adolescents and young adults. The Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire-4-Revised (SATAQ-4R) captures the internalization of societal appearance ideals and perceived pressures from others but has not been validated in a Norwegian adolescent population.

Methods: The current study explored the factor structure of SATAQ-4R in a sample of adolescent Norwegian males and females (n = 1558, mean age 17.04 ± 0.95) using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) for a 6- and 7-factor structure in females, and a 7-factor structure in males. Correlations between subscales, internal consistency and reliability, and comparisons with convergent measures (disordered eating, body mass index, negative influence of social media) were explored.

Results: The CFA supported a 7-factor structure of the SATAQ-4R for both males and females. Internal consistency and reliability were acceptable. SATAQ-4R subscales largely correlated with disordered eating and additional convergent measures.

Conclusions: Results confirm the structure and reliability of the SATAQ-4R in a Norwegian adolescent population. The subscales showed good convergent validity, and high scores on internalization and societal pressures were related to higher levels of disordered eating and negative social media influence. The Norwegian version of the SATAQ-4R thus demonstrates good psychometric properties in adolescent males and females, and is well suited to capture internalization and sociocultural pressures that particularly affect adolescents. Results highlight the need to continue working towards reducing adverse internalization and improving body image among adolescents.