Network Structure of Body Image Disturbance in Chinese Adolescents and Emerging Adults: A Validation and Comparison Study

Abstract

Body image disturbance (BID) may vary across age groups among youth; however, its multifaceted structure and developmental differences within the Chinese cultural context remain underexamined. This study utilized a robust two-phase cross-validation design to validate the Chinese Multifaceted Instrument for Body Image Disturbance (MI-BoD) and compare BID network architectures between high school and college students. In Phase 1, using a large validation sample, factor analyses supported the MI-BoD's six-factor structure, demonstrating excellent psychometric properties and strict measurement invariance across gender. In Phase 2, an independent sample was used to compare internal connectivity patterns. Although dimension-level networks revealed a consistent core composition across groups, preoccupation was the most central dimension in the high school group, whereas fear of weight gain showed the highest numerical centrality in the college group; however, the between-group differences in dimension-level centrality did not reach statistical significance. Furthermore, item-level networks indicated relatively stronger connectivity among selected body exposure–related items in college students, which may suggest the increased salience of social presentation contexts in early adulthood. This study confirms the robust psychometric properties of the Chinese MI-BoD and reveals stage-related structural differences in BID, providing preliminary network–based evidence that may inform future age-sensitive prevention and intervention research across adolescence and early adulthood.