Validation of the Lithuanian Version of the Sociocultural Attitudes towards Appearance Questionnaire-4 (SATAQ-4) in a Student Sample

Abstract

The Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire-4 (SATAQ-4) is one of the most broadly used self-report tools that assess the general role of sociocultural influences on body image and appearance-related internalization. The present study aimed to examine the reliability, validity, and factor structure of the Lithuanian version of the SATAQ-4 (LT-SATAQ-4), as a screening self-report instrument for assessing the role of sociocultural influences on body image. A mixed-gender sample (N = 1850) of undergraduate students (88.7%) and graduate students (11.3%) from different state universities and colleges participated in this study (average age 21.6 ±5.0). The students completed a self-report online questionnaire. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were calculated for assessing test-retest reliability. The construct validity of the Lithuanian Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire-4 (LT-SATAQ-4) was studied performing exploratory factor analysis (EFA), and then confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The mean scores for the LT-SATAQ-4 subscales ranged from 1.6 ± 0.9 (Pressure subscale: Peers) to 2.7 ± 1.2 (Internalization subscale: Thin/Low Body Fat). Test-retest reliability was good to excellent for the general and subscale scores (0.85–1.00) except for the Pressure subscale: Peers (0.60). The original 5-factor structure was confirmed by EFA and CFA. Good to excellent internal consistency for each subscale (attempted 0.9 and more) and for the LT-SATAQ-4 global scale (0.91) was obtained. The LT-SATAQ-4 scores had adequate concurrent validity with the measures of the body image, disordered eating, self-esteem, and body mass index. The results support the psychometric properties of the LT-SATAQ-4 and its’ use in Lithuanian student samples. The Lithuanian SATAQ-4 is a useful measure to examine the pressures to internalize appearance ideals in Lithuanian-speaking samples of young individuals.