Development and Validation of a BMI-Based Figure Rating Scale for Chinese Adolescents

Figure rating scales (FRS) have been widely used to measure body dissatisfaction. In the current study, an FRS based on body mass index (BMI) and body shape of Chinese adolescents (C-BMI-FRS) was developed and validated. The perceived actual figure chosen from C-BMI-FRS by 2,237 Chinese adolescents aged 15-18 years old correlated strongly with BMI (r = .83 in girls and r = .80 in boys). Additionally, there was a strong relation between actual and ideal figure discrepancy (AID) scores and measures of body satisfaction (r = -.54 in girls, r = -.28 in boys) and eating disorder symptoms (r = .54 in girls, and r = .52 in boys). There also were moderate associations of AID scores with self-esteem (r = -.16) and negative affect (r = .18) in girls. Test-retest reliability over an 8- to 10 -week interval exceeded .57 for actual figure, ideal figure, and AID scores. Overall, findings support the utility of C-BMI-FRS as a measure of body dissatisfaction among Chinese adolescents.