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Chapter 39 - Body Image in Pregnancy Scale (BIPS)

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By
Matthew Fuller-Tyszkiewicz ,
Jaclyn Broadbent  and
Helen Skouteris
Edited by
Virginia Ramseyer Winter ,
Tracy L. Tylka  and
Antoinette M. Landor
Virginia Ramseyer Winter
Affiliation:
University of Minnesota
Tracy L. Tylka
Affiliation:
Ohio State University
Antoinette M. Landor
Affiliation:
University of Missouri
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Summary

The Body Image in Pregnancy Scale (BIPS; Watson et al., 2017) provides a comprehensive assessment of dissatisfaction and preoccupation with appearance and physical function, perceived sexual attractiveness, and behavioral consequences of pregnancy-related changes to physical appearance. Where other measures of body image during pregnancy typically have narrower focus, BIPS is intended to cover a wide range of common body image experiences identified in prior qualitative and quantitative studies. BIPS offers flexibility for users; it is freely available to use, either in online or in-person format, and takes approximately 5-10 minutes to complete. The measure has been validated for use in a range of languages, including English, Turkish, and German, and has good factorial structure and reliability. This chapter details this psychometric evidence, as well as providing a full list of BIPS items and instructions for scoring.

Keywords

BIPSBody Image in Pregnancy Scalebody image disturbancesbody functioningphysical appearancepregnancysexual attractivenessappearance-related avoidancephysical strengthphysical functionphysical aesthetics

Information

Type
Chapter
Information
Handbook of Body Image-Related Measures , pp. 122 - 125
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2025

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References

Ben-Tovim, D.I., & Walker, M.K. (1991). The development of the Ben-Tovim and Walker Body Attitudes Questionnaire (BAQ), a new measure of women’s attitudes towards their own bodies. Psychological Medicine, 21(3), 775–784. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291700022406.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
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Fuller-Tyszkiewicz, M., Skouteris, H., Watson, B., & Hill, B. (2012). Body image during pregnancy: An evaluation of the suitability of the Body Attitudes Questionnaire. BMC Pregnancy & Childbirth, 12, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2393-12-91.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
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Gün Kakaşçı, Ç., Ergün, G., & Sezer Balcı, A. (2021). The psychometric properties and validity of the Turkish version of the Body Image in Pregnancy Scale (BIPS-Turkish). Women & Health, 62(1), 21–36. https://doi.org/10.1080/03630242.2021.2008584CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
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Nagl, M., Jepsen, L., Linde, K., & Kersting, A. (2019). Measuring body image during pregnancy: Psychometric properties and validity of a German translation of the Body Image in Pregnancy Scale (BIPS-G). BMC Pregnancy Childbirth, 19, 244. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-019-2386-4.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Salzer, E. B., Meireles, J. F. F., Kirk, E., Preston, C. E. J., e Sa, D. V., & Neves, C. M. (2024). Body Understanding Measure for Pregnancy Scale (BUMPs): Cross-cultural adaptation and psychometric properties among Brazilian pregnant women. Body Image, 49, 101689. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2024.101689.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
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Watson, B., Broadbent, J., Skouteris, H., & Fuller-Tyszkiewicz, M. (2016). A qualitative exploration of body image experiences of women progressing through pregnancy. Women & Birth, 29(1), 72–79. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wombi.2015.08.007.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Watson, B., Fuller-Tyszkiewicz, M., Broadbent, J., & Skouteris, H. (2017). Development and validation of a tailored measure of body image for pregnant women. Psychological Assessment, 29(11), 1363–1375. https://doi.org/10.1037/pas0000441.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Watson, B., Fuller-Tyszkiewicz, M., Skouteris, H., & Broadbent, J. (2015). The meaning of body image experiences during the perinatal period: A systematic review of the qualitative literature. Body Image, 14, 102–113. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2015.04.005.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed

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