Body image distortion: validation of a new scale for children and adolescents.
Renato Donfrancesco, Francesca di Roma, Wanda Chiarilli, Maria G Melegari, Rosa M Lacerenza, Laura Ferrante, Matteo Villanova
Minerva pediatrics June 15, 2022 DOI: 10.23736/s2724-5276.22.06759-3 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Validation study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1,557 |
| Population | Children and adolescents balanced for sex and age |
| Measures | Strange Sensations Questionnaire (SSQ), Free Fantasy Questionnaire (FFQ) Reality/Unreality subscale |
| Key points | The Strange Sensations Questionnaire was validated with three subscales (depersonalization, fragility, other shapes). Primary school children had higher mean scores than pre-adolescents and adolescents on the total and all three subscales, while adolescents had a significantly higher mean score on the fragility subscale. Total and subscale scores correlated significantly with the Reality/Unreality subscale of the Free Fantasy Questionnaire, and proneness to out-of-body experiences was relatively frequent. |
Abstract
Background: A possible definition of body image is the picture that an individual has of her/his own body, irrespective of how her/his body actually is. Body image is a competence that develops in children similar to many other skills. The aim of this study was to validate a new rapid 20-items questionnaire to study the body image distortion in children and adolescents: the Strange Sensations Questionnaire (SSQ). A secondary aim was to improve the knowledge about body image distortion and about depersonalization symptoms,and their correlation with possible hallucinations, in children and adolescents, as it can be investigated using a scale.
Methods: 1557 children and adolescents, balanced for sex and age filled out a new 20-items questionnaire (SSQ) about body image, and a second validated questionnaire about fantasy with a Reality/Unreality distinction subscale to study the relationship with hallucinations (Free Fantasy Questionnaire-FFQ).
Results: Results showed a good validation of SSQ with three subscales: depersonalization, fragility and other shapes. We found a relative high frequency of proneness to out-of-body experiences. Children of primary school age have a higher mean score than pre-adolescents and adolescents in the total score of all the three subscales of SSG. Adolescents seem to have a significantly higher mean score in Fragility subscale. The mean total score and the mean scores of all the three subscales have a significant correlation with the Reality/Unreality subscale of FFQ.
Conclusions: SSQ was validated. The research could confirm also the high frequency of body image distortion in developmental age, suggesting the possibility of a specific retardation as a possible origin of some body image distortion disorders. Data also confirm the proneness for hallucination of adolescents with body image distortion.