Development and Psychometric Study of a Persian Version of the Body Image Questionnaire for Individuals With Gender Dysphoria

Abstract

Body dissatisfaction is a major concern among individuals with gender dysphoria, for the assessment of which psychometric tools with appropriate reliability and validity are needed. This study aimed (1) to translate and culturally adapt both gender versions of the English-language “Body Image and Satisfaction Questionnaire” (BIQ-M and BIQ-F: Meyer-Bahlburg, 2008) into Persian and (2) to conduct a psychometric validation study of the Persian versions. After translation and cultural adaptation, content and face validity were assessed. A total score for each gender version was calculated by summing responses to Likert-scaled dissatisfaction items. The Dissatisfaction Scales were analyzed for internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha) and discriminant validity in a sample of 51 individuals with gender dysphoria (25 transgender women, 26 transgender men) and 43 cisgender individuals (20 men, 23 women). Group differences were examined using t-tests and ANCOVA. Explanatory factor analysis has been used to assess the construct validity of the questionnaires. Cronbach’s alpha coefficients for the Dissatisfaction Scales of BIQ-M and BIQ-F were 0.931 and 0.948, respectively. EFA showed four domains for each BIQ-M and BIQ-F questionnaires, describing more than 75% of the variations. Transgender participants scored significantly higher on the scales than cisgender controls (P<0.001). Item-level analyses confirmed these differences, and ANCOVA showed no significant confounding effect of age. The Persian versions of the BIQ-M and BIQ-F demonstrated excellent reliability and plausible construct and criterion validities, thus making them suitable for clinical and research use among Persian-speaking individuals with gender dysphoria.