An examination of the factor structure and sex invariance of a French translation of the Body Appreciation Scale-2 in university students

•French Body Appreciation Scale-2 (BAS-2) scores have a one-dimensional factor structure.•French BAS-2 scores have adequate internal consistencies.•Men demonstrated significantly higher body appreciation than women.

The Body Appreciation Scale-2 (BAS-2) is a measure of positive body image that has been found that have a one-dimensional factor structure in a number of different cultural groups. Here, we examined the factor structure and sex-based measurement invariance of a French translation of the BAS-2. A total of 652 university students (age M = 21.33, SD = 3.18) completed a newly-translated French version of the BAS-2. Exploratory factor analyses with a randomly selected split-half subsample revealed that the BAS-2 had a one-dimensional factor structure in both sexes. Confirmatory factor analyses with a second split-half subsample indicated that the one-dimensional factor structure had adequate fit following modifications and was invariant across sex. French BAS-2 scores had adequate internal consistency and men had significantly higher body appreciation than women (ds = .16-.23). These results provide preliminary support for the factorial validity of the French BAS-2.