Measurement invariance and differential item functioning of the functionality appreciation scale (FAS) in Colombia and Spain.

The Functionality Appreciation Scale (FAS) is increasingly used in diverse national and linguistic contexts. However, limited work has assessed the extent to which the instrument demonstrates measurement invariance and differential item functioning (DIF) across nations and respondent characteristics. Here, we examined measurement invariance and DIF of the FAS using archival data from adults in Colombia (Mebarak et al., 2023) and Spain (Zamora et al., 2024). Participants included 1420 (women n = 804, men n = 616) respondents from Colombia and 838 (women n = 415, men n = 423) respondents from Spain who completed translations of the FAS. Confirmatory factor analysis supported a unidimensional structure of the FAS in both national groups. Additionally, the FAS achieved full measurement invariance (up to latent mean invariance) across both groups. We also found that the FAS lacked DIF as a function of age, body mass index (BMI), and gender identity across both national groups. Older participants (relative to younger participants), men (relative to women), and participants with lower BMIs (relative to those with higher BMIs) had higher FAS scores. These results support the notion that the FAS is measuring a common underlying construct across these national groups and respondent characteristics.

A person-centred investigation of the associations between actual and perceived physical fitness among youth with intellectual disabilities.

The main objective of this person-centred study was to identify profiles of actual and perceived physical fitness among a sample of youth with intellectual disabilities (ID). Participants were 377 youth (60.4% boys) with mild (49.6%) to moderate (50.4%) ID recruited in Australia and Canada. Latent profile analyses revealed five profiles: (1) Underestimation of Average Physical Fitness (5.5% of the sample); (2) Moderate Overestimation of Low Physical Fitness (17.7%), (3) Moderate Underestimation of Average Physical Fitness (31.3%); (4) High Overestimation of Average Physical Fitness (28.3%); and (5) Moderate Underestimation of High Physical Fitness with an Accurate Estimation of Average Flexibility (17.2%). Profiles 1, 2, and 3 relatives to Profiles 4 and 5 included younger participants, more participants with moderate levels of ID, and participants with a higher body mass index. Additionally, profiles 1 and 3 also included a higher proportion of youth pursuing externally-driven motives and less frequently involved in sports outside of the school. In sum, our findings showed that the tendency of youth with ID to rely on upward or downward-lateral social comparisons may have resulted in a depreciation or overestimation of their low levels of physical fitness.

The Experience of Embodiment Scale: An examination of its psychometric properties in women from the Republic of Cyprus.

The Experience of Embodiment Scale (EES) is a recently developed instrument that assesses experiences of living in the body. Here, we prepared a novel Greek translation of the EES and examined its psychometric properties. We initially prepared a Greek translation of the EES using a 5-step procedure recommended for test adaptation studies. Next, in a cross-sectional study, we asked a sample of 933 women from Cyprus to complete the Greek EES, alongside additional, previously validated measures assessing body appreciation, psychological well-being (self-esteem, life satisfaction), eating restriction, perfectionism, and internalisation of appearance ideals. Our analyses showed that EES factorial models based on confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) roundly had poor fit. Conversely, models based on exploratory structural equation modelling (ESEM)-which accounts for the fact that EES items cross-load across factors-had adequate fit to the data. Additionally, we found that both higher-order and bifactor-ESEM models that controlled for the uniqueness of negatively worded items had adequate fit. The bifactor-ESEM model had the best fit of all the models tested, and was invariant across ethnicity (Greeks and Greek-Cypriots) and was unaffected by differential item functioning based on age and body mass index. Additionally, construct validity of the final, optimal model was adequate, especially for its G-factor, as indicated by significant associations with additional constructs in expected directions. These results suggest that a bifactor-ESEM model of the Greek EES has adequate psychometric properties. Our work highlights important psychometric issues relating to the manner in which the EES should (or could) be conceptualised and modelled, which should be considered more fully in future work.

Psychosocial Difficulties Profiles Among Youth with Intellectual Disabilities.

This study sought to identify the various configurations, or profiles, of internalizing and externalizing behaviors found among a sample of youth with intellectual disabilities (ID). These behaviors were assessed twice over one year, using self, parental, and teacher reports. Six variables were hypothesized to predict profile membership: Parent-child relationship (i.e., warmth and conflict), student-teacher relationship (i.e., warmth and conflict), peer acceptance, and peer victimization. To this end, we conducted Latent Profile Analysis among a sample of 393 youth with ID (aged 11-22 years old) recruited in Canada (French-speaking; n = 142; 49.30% boys) and Australia (English-speaking; n = 251; 67.30% boys). Our results revealed five profiles: (1) Adjusted (13.48%), (2) Mild School-related Difficulties (34.38%), (3) Underestimation of Mild Difficulties (12.40%), (4) High Difficulties (19.45%), and (5) Internalizing Difficulties Unobserved at School (20.19%). These profiles, as well as profile membership, remained stable over time. Lower levels of student-teacher warmth, lower levels of peer acceptance, and higher levels of peer victimization were associated with a higher likelihood of membership into profiles characterized by above-average levels of psychosocial difficulties, especially self-reported. Based on these findings, future interventions addressing internalizing and externalizing behaviors could benefit from focusing on the school environment, notably peer acceptance and student-teacher warmth.

The Intuitive Eating Scale-3: Development and psychometric evaluation.

Intuitive eating has been found to protect against disordered eating and preserve well-being. Yet, there are methodological (length), conceptual (inconsideration of medical, value-based, and access-related reasons for food consumption), and psychometric (item wording) concerns with its most common measure, the Intuitive Eating Scale-2 (IES-2). To address these concerns, we developed the IES-3 and investigated its psychometric properties with U.S. community adults. Across three online studies, we evaluated the IES-3's factorial validity using exploratory factor analysis (EFA; Study 1; N = 957; Mage = 36.30), as well as confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM), bifactor-CFA, and bifactor-ESEM (Study 2; N = 1152; Mage = 40.95), and cross-validated the optimal model (Study 3; N = 884; Mage = 38.54). We examined measurement invariance across samples and time, differential item functioning (age, body mass index [BMI], gender), composite reliability, and validity. Study 1 revealed a 12-item, 4-factor structure (unconditional permission to eat, eating for physical reasons, reliance on hunger and satiety cues, body-food choice congruence). In Study 2, a bifactor-ESEM model with a global intuitive eating factor and four specific factors best fit the data, which was temporally stable across three weeks. This model also had good fit in Study 3 and, across Studies 2 and 3, and was fully invariant and lacked measurement bias in terms of age, gender, and BMI. Associations between latent IES-3 factors and age, gender, and BMI were invariant across Studies 2 and 3. Composite reliability and validity (relationships with disordered eating, embodiment, body image, well-being, and distress; negligible relationship with impression management) of the retained model were also supported. The 12-item IES-3 demonstrates strong psychometric properties in U.S. community adults. Research is now needed using the IES-3 in other cultural contexts and social identity groups.

Does a person's body size and the application type influence healthcare students' perceptions of technologies to promote physical activity? Findings from a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Recent evidence suggests that weight bias may be pervasive, even among health professionals specialized in obesity, including healthcare students. Technology-based physical activity interventions are promising for people with obesity, specifically when they are theory-driven (e.g., autonomy-supportive as described by self-determination theory). However, perceptions of these technologies have been understudied among healthcare students and professionals. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of a person's body size based on body mass index and technology type on healthcare students' perceptions. DESIGN: This is a cross-sectional, experimental study. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS: Five hundred and two healthcare students (360 females, 142 males; mean age = 23.3, SD = 5.0) were randomly exposed to one of four scenarios that manipulated a hypothetical person's body mass index (22 kg/m2 vs. 42 kg/m2) and a technology-based physical activity type based on self-determination theory (autonomy-supportive app vs. controlling app). They then completed measures of their perceptions of the person's app acceptability and self-efficacy and of their intention to recommend the app. Multivariate and univariate analyses of covariance were performed. RESULTS: Students exposed to the larger-bodied people (42 kg/m2) versus the smaller-bodied people (22 kg/m2) perceived a lower level of person's app acceptability (i.e., higher social influence and less enjoyment in using the app), as well as a lower level of self-efficacy to use the technology. Students exposed to the controlling app were more likely to recommend it compared to those exposed to the autonomy-supportive app. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that healthcare students' attitudes may be negatively influenced by explicit weight bias. Also, in contrast to self-determination theory precepts, a controlling app may be more frequently recommended. Further study of healthcare students' implicit attitudes toward technology is needed.

Relation between orthorexia nervosa and healthy orthorexia: A latent profile analysis.

Orthorexic eating behaviors can be conceptualized as a bidimensional construct encompassing an orthorexia nervosa dimension (ON) and a healthy orthorexia dimension (HO). Although variable-centered studies showed that ON and HO are distinguishable orthorexic eating behaviors, the evidence of whether they can co-occur or be distinct in subgroups of individuals is still limited. The present study aimed to address previous person-centered studies' limitations by examining profiles of ON and HO among a convenience sample of 251 French-speaking Canadian adults (85.7% women; Mage = 33.56). Profile membership was examined as function of participants characteristics such as age, gender, body mass index, frequency of physical activity and sports and vegetarianism. The relation between profile membership, intuitive eating and disordered eating attitudes and behaviors was also assessed. Latent profile analysis (LPA) were used to estimate profiles of ON and HO. Results from LPA did not provide support for the distinguishability of ON and HO. Indeed, they revealed the presence of two profiles showing co-occurring levels of ON and HO that only differed quantitatively: low (68.9% of the sample; low levels of ON and HO) or moderate orthorexic eating behaviors (31.1%; moderate levels of ON and HO). Participants who declared being vegetarian and being more frequently involved in physical activities and sports were more likely to belong to the moderate orthorexic eating behaviors' profile. Finally, participants from the moderate orthorexic eating behaviors' profile showed higher levels of disordered eating attitudes and behaviors, whereas those from the low orthorexic eating behaviors' profile showed higher levels of intuitive eating. Findings from the present study question the distinguishability of ON and HO dimensions. They also suggest that, similarly to ON, HO is also related to higher eating and lifestyle preoccupations.

Greek adaptation of the Teruel Orthorexia Scale (TOS) in adults from the Republic of Cyprus: A bidimensional model may not be universal.

The Teruel Orthorexia Scale (TOS) is a 17-item instrument designed to assess distinct facets of Orthorexia Nervosa (ON) and Healthy Orthorexia (HO). While a bidimensional model of TOS scores has been supported in diverse national and linguistic groups, the psychometric properties of the TOS have not been previously assessed in Greek-speaking populations. To rectify this, we assessed the psychometric properties of a novel Greek translation of the TOS in a sample of adults from Cyprus. A total of 1248 respondents (710 women, 538 men) completed the Greek TOS, as well as previously validated measures of perfectionism, obsessive-compulsive symptomatology, eating restriction, negative affect, and appearance evaluation. Our results showed that a bidimensional model of the TOS had less-than-adequate fit when modelled using both confirmatory factor analysis and exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM). Conversely, both exploratory factor analysis and ESEM supported extraction of a 3-factor model consisting of a HO facet and separate components of emotional orthorexia and cognitive-social orthorexia. This 3-factor model showed a lack of measurement bias (measurement invariance across gender identity and lack of differential item functioning as function of age and body mass index), but there were differences in latent factor means as function of respondent age and body mass index. The 3-factor model showed adequate evidence of construct validity, with the latent emotional orthorexia and cognitive-social orthorexia facets showing significant and moderate associations with the additional constructs measured in the survey. Broadly speaking, these findings support the psychometric properties of a 3-factor model of the Greek TOS, but also suggest that the bidimensional model of the TOS may not have universal applicability. We encourage further assessments of factorial validity in other national and linguistic contexts.

School Experiences and Anxiety Trajectories Among Youth with Intellectual Disabilities.

This study investigated how the school experiences and personal characteristics of youth with Intellectual Disabilities (ID) contribute to their longitudinal trajectories of anxiety. To this end, we relied on a sample of 390 youth with mild (48.2%) to moderate (51.8%) levels of ID, aged from 11 to 22 (M = 15.70), and recruited in Canada (n = 140) and Australia (n = 250). Across three yearly time points, all participants completed self-report measures of anxiety, school climate, and victimization. Our results revealed a slight normative decrease in anxiety over time and showed that experiences of school victimization were associated with higher levels of anxiety (initially and momentarily) and increases in victimization were accompanied by increases in anxiety over time. Perceptions of attending a school that fosters security and promotes learning also tended to be accompanied by lower levels of anxiety (initially and momentarily). Momentary increases in perceptions of attending a school that fosters positive peer interactions were associated with momentary decreases in anxiety, whereas momentary increases in perceptions of attending a school characterized by positive teacher-student relationships and an equitable treatment of all students both led to small momentary increases in anxiety once all other components of student school experiences were considered. The theoretical and practical implications of these results are discussed.

Profiles of body image concerns and their associations with disordered eating behaviors.

Although body image concerns (BIC) are recognized as a core driver in the development of disordered eating behaviors, the combined role of various types of BIC remains underexamined. This study relied on latent profile analysis to identify the main configurations of self-reported BIC (i.e., body checking and avoidance, perceived physical appearance, and fear of negative appearance evaluation) observed in a sample of 419 French-Canadian individuals (Mage = 26.59, SDage = 9.23). The role of body mass index, sex, and age on profile membership was also examined, as well as the relation between profile membership and disordered eating behaviors (i.e., dieting, bulimia and food preoccupation, and oral control). Six distinct BIC profiles differing in terms of shape and level were identified, with women being more likely to display a profile characterized by higher levels of BIC. In turn, profiles characterized by higher levels of BIC were associated with more disordered eating behaviors. The present study can broaden our understanding of the onset and maintenance of disordered eating behaviors and inspire the development of more tailored body-image interventions.