Validation of two body scales for assessment of thin-ideal and muscularity-ideal body dissatisfaction among Chinese adult females

Background: Previous studies have demonstrated the significant impact of body dissatisfaction on the physical and mental well-being of women. China’s culture idealizes thinness and beauty, and women are more prone to experiencing body dissatisfaction. However, research on women’s body dissatisfaction has predominantly focused on Western societies, with limited investigations conducted in China. Meanwhile, there exists a dearth of specific measurement tools for assessing Chinese adult women’s body dissatisfaction. Therefore, the work aimed to assess the reliability of the Female Body Scale (FBS) and the Female Fit Body Scale (FFITBS) among Chinese adult women. Methods: A total of 1,340 Chinese adult women selected body figures that most accurately represented their current and ideal bodies through the FBS and the FFITBS. Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire 6.0 (EDE-Q6.0) and Drive for Muscularity Scale (DMS) were completed. Re-test was conducted four to 3–4 weeks later to complete the FBS and the FFITBS again. Results: The validity and reliability of the FBS and the FFITBS have been demonstrated in Chinese adult women. A majority of women expressed a desire for a smaller body, which encompassed muscularity and adiposity dimensions. There was a significant correlation between body dissatisfaction scores and eating disorder scores among Chinese adult women. Additionally, the body dissatisfaction scores obtained from the FFITBS significantly predicted the DMS scores. Furthermore, among Chinese adult women, only the heterosexual and bisexual groups show differences in muscularity-dimension body dissatisfaction, while no significant differences are found among the other groups. Conclusions: The findings suggested that the FBS and the FFITBS could be valuable scientific tools for evaluating body dissatisfaction among Chinese adult women. © The Author(s) 2025.