The Body Influence Assessment Inventory (BIAI): Further examination of psychometric properties

The purpose of the present study was to further examine the structure and psychometric properties of a self-report measure of bodily experiences that are linked with suicide and the eating disorders in adolescents and young adults, the Body Influence Assessment Inventory (BIAI; Osman, Barrios, Kopper, Gutierrez, Williams, & Bailey, 2006). Previous clinical and nonclinical investigations have indicated strong associations between how the individual experiences his or her body and several self-harmful behaviors such as suicide, and the eating disorders (Anderson, Carter, McIntosh, Joyce, & Bulik, 2002; Gollust, Eisenberg, & Golberstein, 2008; Orbach & Mikulincer, 1998). The purpose of this study was to further examine the psychometric properties of the BIAI in a nonclinical sample of students from the University of Texas at San Antonio. The four factor structure found by Osman et al. was replicated, internal consistency reliability estimates of the BIAI scales were found to be strong, concurrent and discriminant validity estimates of the BIAI scales were adequate, and significant differences between empirically-defined at-risk eating disorder groups were found in the BIAI scales scores. Clinical utility and future research with the BIAI was discussed.