Evaluation of the 'Fragebogen zum Figurbewusstsein' (FFB, German version of the Body Shape Questionnaire)

Background: The German version of the Body Shape Questionnaire (FFB) is widely used to assess different aspects of body dissatisfaction. In the present study the FFB is evaluated extensively for the first time. Method: Two groups of normal controls (n = 201 and n = 189 women, respectively) were included, as well as 182 women with the diagnosis of bulimia nervosa and 49 women with the diagnosis of binge eating disorder. Results: In each of the four groups a principal component analysis revealed a single factor. The reliability of the FFB was found to be good. Clinical and non-clinical groups were significantly different with respect to their FFB-scores. Specific correlations between the FFB-score and different measures of symptoms of bulimia also supported the validity of the FFB. Finally, preliminary norms were estimated. Conclusions: The results of the present study suggest that the FFB is suitable for usage in therapy and research.