Measurement of body dissatisfaction in college-enrolled Mexican American Women: A Rasch-based examination of the validity and reliability of the EDI-III

• Two items of the EDI-III BDS misfit the Rasch model in MA women.
• Rasch analyses support two distinct aspects of body dissatisfaction in MA women.
• The proposed two subscales have good item fit and person & item reliability.

Measures of body dissatisfaction have not been validated for Mexican American (MA) women, who evaluate their bodies differently than Caucasian women. In this study, the psychometric properties of the EDI-III, Body Dissatisfaction Subscale (BDS) were examined in a sample of college-enrolled MA women using the Rasch Rating Scale Model. Criterion validity was also addressed. BDS evidenced good item fit, person and item reliability, once poorly correlated items were removed. Two qualitatively distinct dimensions of body dissatisfaction were identified: (1) overall body shape and stomach, and (2) the lower body. Validity of the scales was supported. Results suggest: MA women's satisfaction with overall body shape is not synonymous with attitudes toward their lower body.