Validation of the Greek Version of Social Appearance Anxiety Scale in Adolescents and Young Adults

Authors

  • Triada Konstantina Papapanou Postgraduate Course of Science of Stress and Health Promotion, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens
  • Flora Bacopoulou Center for Adolescent Medicine and UNESCO Chair on Adolescent Health Care, First Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
  • Maria Michou Human Ecology Laboratory, Department of Home Economics and Ecology, Harokopio University, Kallithea, Athens
  • Christina Kanaka-Gantenbein Postgraduate Course of Science of Stress and Health Promotion, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens
  • Dimitrios Vlachakis Genetics Laboratory, Biotechnology Department, School of Applied Biology and Biotechnology, Agricultural University of Athens, Greece
  • George P. Chrousos University Research Institute of Maternal and Child Health & Precision Medicine and UNESCO Chair on Adolescent Health Care, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Aghia Sophia Children’s Hospital, Athens
  • Christina Darviri Postgraduate Course of Science of Stress and Health Promotion, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14806/ej.28.0.1027

Keywords:

social appearance anxiety scale, psychometric properties, body image, social anxiety, validation, adolescents, young adults, Greece

Abstract

Many people are worried about their social appearance. The fear of negative evaluation and judgment regarding one’s look in social circumstances is referred to as social appearance anxiety. Social appearance anxiety belongs to social anxiety. The aim of the present study was to validate the Social Appearance Anxiety Scale (SAAS) in the Greek language and to examine its psychometric properties. An online survey was conducted in a Greek population sample of adolescents and young adults aged 18 to 35 years. The survey instruments included the Social Appearance Anxiety Scale, the Social Physique Anxiety Scale (SPAS), 2 subscales of Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire Appearance Scale (MBSRQ), the Appearance Schemas Inventory-Revised Scale (ASI-R) and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS). A total of 429 respondents participated in this research. The statistical analysis showed that the Greek version of the SAAS has good psychometric properties. The internal consistency of questions within the SAAS was 0.942. Positive correlations were found between SAAS and SPAS, the overweight preoccupation subscale of MBSRQ, the ASI-R and the DASS, while negative correlations were observed between SAAS and the appearance evaluation subscale of MBSRQ and age. The results of this study suggest that the Greek version of SAAS can be used as a reliable and valid instrument in the Greek population.  

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Published

2023-05-16

Issue

Vol. 28

Section

Research Papers

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