Cross-cultural adaptation and psychometric properties of the Functionality Appreciation Scale (FAS) among Brazilian young university students

Abstract

The appreciation of body functionality refers to the extent to which an individual appreciates what his body does or is capable of doing. It represents a facet of positive body image that has recently gained significant attention in research in the area. The Functionality Appreciation Scale (FAS) is an instrument created to measure this construct. However, so far, the use of FAS has been limited to a few languages. To partially overcome this limitation, the present study aimed to carry out a cross-cultural adaptation of FAS and assess the psychometric properties of the developed version. A sample of 157 Brazilian young university students (mean age = 23.41, SD = 4.21; 84 men, 73 women) completed the Brazilian Portuguese version of the FAS online, plus additional measures. A Confirmatory Factor Analysis demonstrated a one-dimensional structure for the version (factorial loads > 0.50). Evidence of convergent validity was provided through significant and positive correlations of FAS with measures of body appreciation, self-compassion, and self-esteem, plus significant and negative correlations with measures of anxiety and depression (r > 0.5 e p < 0.0001). The internal consistency of FAS was satisfactory (α = 0.90). The availability of the Brazilian version of FAS may be useful for use in clinical and research settings. Future studies may provide additional evidence of validity, including use with other populations.