Assessment of physical self-perceptions in normal Flemish adults versus depressed psychiatric patients

The purpose of this research was to investigate the reliability and validity of a Flemish version of the Physical Self-Perception Profile (PSPP). Males (n=146) and females (n=154) completed the PSPP and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Inventory, and their scores were compared to those of 217 Flemish psychiatric patients (83 males, 134 females). Confirmatory factor analysis supported a three-component structure, due to the merging of the original sports competence and physical condition subscales (CFI=0.91 in males; CFI=0.90 in females). Partial correlation analysis supported the hierarchical structure of the PSPP. The new PSPP scales manifested strong internal consistency, and discriminated between normal adults and psychiatric patients (canonical r=0.44 for males, r=0.55 for females). It was concluded that the three-component PSPP can be considered as a reliable and valid instrument for measuring physical self-perceptions in normal Flemish adults and patients with mood disorders.