Stability of body image concerns among Chinese adolescents: nine-month test-retest reliabilities of the negative physical self scale

Abstract

This research assessed the stability of specific body image concerns among Chinese adolescents. A sample of 216 boys and 375 girls completed the Negative Physical Self Scale, a 38-item measure of body image concerns developed specifically for use in Chinese samples. Participants returned nine months later to complete the same scale. Bivariate correlation analyses within each sex obtained good test-retest reliabilities (r=.48 to r=.78). Findings indicate that body image concerns of Chinese adolescents, especially those of girls, are relatively stable over a nine-month interval.