Social physique anxiety scale: A psychometric investigation of the factorial model in brazilian adults

Abstract

Background. Due to the different factorial models available for the Social Physique Anxiety Scale (SPAS), a psychometric study is needed to identify the most appropriate structure of the scale for a Brazilian sample. Objectives: to estimate the psychometric properties of the SPAS when applied to a sample of Brazilian adults and to explore a factorial model for the instrument. Methods. First, the original SPAS single-factor model was assessed for the total sample through confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The total sample was randomly divided into two groups. Exploratory factor analysis was carried out in one of the subsamples to identify underlying factors. The new structure was submitted to CFA using the other subsample. Estimates of convergent validity, discriminant validity, and reliability were also calculated. Results: 979 adults with a mean age of 26.09 (SD = 6.37) years participated in the study, 70.5% of whom were women. A two-factor model was found in the exploratory analysis with adequate validity indexes and good reliability. Discussion/Conclusion: A two-factor model of the SPAS presented good indicators of validity and reliability for young Brazilian adults.