Sexual orientation-based differential item functioning in measures of body ideals and sociocultural pressures among men

Body image concerns and body ideals are linked with eating disorders and psychological health. Body image and ideals among men differ by sexual orientation, which may influence the utility of common measures of such constructs. The present study used differential item functioning (DIF) analyses to examine whether item endorsement differs as a function of sexual orientation in 3 commonly used measures of body image concerns and ideals. Participants were sexual minority (n = 209) and heterosexual (n = 494) men in the United States. Scores on the Drive for Muscularity Scale (DMS), Sociocultural Attitudes Toward Appearance Questionnaire–4 (SATAQ-4), and Objectified Body Consciousness Scale (OBCS) were examined. DIF was tested in a 3-step regression wherein item scores were predicted by: (a) subscale score, (b) subscale and sexual orientation, and (c) subscale, sexual orientation, and their product term. Model fit and variance explain comparisons identified by DIF. Δ pseudo R2 value ≥ .035 from Step 1 to 3 signified clinically significant DIF. There was no evidence of clinically significant DIF for the DMS, SATAQ-4, or OBCS. Findings suggest that DMS, SATAQ-4, and OBCS perform similarly for sexual minority and heterosexual men.