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

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.