Validating the revised male body attitudes scale and examining its prospective associations with eating disorder psychopathology and muscle dysmorphia symptoms in Chinese adult men

Abstract

In the present study, we translated and validated the Revised Male Body Attitudes Scale (MBAS-R) and examined its longitudinal associations with thinness- and muscularity-oriented eating disorder (ED) psychopathology and muscle dysmorphia symptoms in Chinese adult men. A total of 400 Chinese adult men (M_age = 30.24 years, SD = 8.55) were recruited to participate in two sequential phases: a baseline survey and a 6-month follow-up. Using baseline data, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses supported the original three-factor structure of the MBAS-R (i.e., muscularity, body fat, and height subscales), with the removal of one item. The MBAS-R total scale and subscales showed good internal consistency (McDonald’s ω =.81–.93), adequate test-retest reliability (ICC =.86–.95), and strong construct validity as demonstrated by significant positive associations with eating and body image disturbances, as well as weight and height actual-ideal discrepancies. Using both baseline (N = 400) and follow-up (N = 254) data, longitudinal analyses showed that higher MBAS-R total and/or subscale scores at baseline were significantly associated with higher levels of thinness-oriented ED psychopathology and muscle dysmorphia symptoms at follow-up, but not muscularity-oriented ED psychopathology. The findings of the present study support the sound psychometric properties of the MBAS-R and its use in Chinese adult men, highlighting the prospective role of disturbed body attitudes in relation to greater ED psychopathology and muscle dysmorphia symptoms in Chinese men.