Item reduction of the BAES was based on the corrected item-total correlations (i.e., the extent to which each item correlates with the scale score without that item), and communality (i.e. the extent to which an item shares variance with the other items) from the reliability analysis. Items that contributed the least to the internal consistency of the subscales (DeVellis, 1991; Nunnally, 1978) on both indices were considered for exclusion. The final items chosen for retention on each B-BAES subscale were tested for internal consistency using Cronbach’s alpha. These items were then summed to create subscale scores, and a test of criterion-related validity was conducted by comparing the B-BAES subscale scores with the corresponding subscales from the BAES. These analyses were conducted at each of the four time points along the BrAC, as well as separately by sex.
