Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Validation of the Korean Version of the Body Image After Mastectomy Scale

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties and validity of the Korean version of the Body Image After Mastectomy Scale (K-BIMS). Methods: This validation study was divided into two phases. Phase 1 included the translation of the K-BIMS according to the World Health Organization recommendations, investigation of content validity by five experts, and a pilot study involving 10 participants for the final list of K-BIMS items. The study participants included 156 women who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria to verify the validity–reliability of the K-BIMS. Phase 2 included a validity–reliability analysis of the K-BIMS. This included convergent validity, known-group validity, construct validity assessed by confirmatory factor analysis, and item-total score correlation. We assessed internal consistency using the Cronbach α. Results: The K-BIMS confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated good fitness of indices and validity including content validity, convergent validity, and known-group validity was satisfactory. Internal consistency reliability was satisfying with a Cronbach α reliability of .89. Conclusions: The results revealed that the K-BIMS is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing appearance-based behaviors and beliefs about body image distress among women who underwent reconstructive surgery after mastectomy. Implications for Nursing Practice: To identify individuals who exhibit maladaptive symptoms and are at risk of developing long-term body image problems, the K-BIMS can be used as a point-of-care screening tool. Therefore, the K-BIMS can be used as an early screening tool to proactively offer accessible and affordable solutions.