Assoications Between Chinese/Asian Versus Western Mass Media Influence And Body Image Disturbance Of Young Chinese Men And Women

In this research, we evaluated associations of experiences with mass media imported from Western nations such as the United States versus mass media from China and other Asian countries with eating and body image disturbances of young Chinese women and men. In Study 1, participants were undergraduate women(N = 456) who completed self-report measures of disordered eating, specific sources of appearance dissatisfaction(fatness, facial features, stature) and newly developed Western versus Chinese/Asian mass media influence measures that showed structurally equivalent, internally consistent factor structures. The sample was significantly more likely to report perceived pressure from, comparisons with, and preferences for physical appearance depictions from Chinese/Asian than Western mass media. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses also indicated responses on Chinese/Asian media influence measures rather than Western media influence scales combined for substantially more unique variance in prediction models for all disturbances except stature concerns. Taken together, Study 1 results contradicted theoretical accounts emphasizing the importance of Western media influences on body image and highlighted how Chinese/Asian mass media was clearly more salient in the daily lives of young Chinese womenIn Study 2, 405 women and 570 men completed the same research measures. Initial analyses indicated factor structures of all media influence measures in the sample of men when equivalent to those observed for women. Analyses of gender differences indicated that women in this sample reported significantly more eating disturbances, fatness concerns and concerns with facial appearance than men did, although the gender difference in stature concerns was not significant. On media influence measures, main effects for Gender and/or Culture were qualified by significant Gender x Culture interactions. All significant interactions indicated Chinese women scored significantly higher on Chinese/Asian media measures than Western media measures while differences between most Chinese vs. Western media influences were smaller among men, with the exception that Chinese men also preferred to look more like figures in Chinese/Asian media than Western media.Replicating Study 1 results, within the sample of women, Chinese/ Asian media measures had a stronger impact on the prediction of eating/body image disturbances than western media influences did. For men, Chinese/Asian media influences combining forunique variance in prediction models for disturbances were less differentiate with Western media.In conclusion, this research suggested that young Chinese women are more susceptible to eating disturbances and body image concerns related to the feminine attractiveness ideal(i.e., emphasis on face and thin body) than young Chinese men are. Furthermore, appearance portrayals in Chinese/Asian media appear to be more salient to young Chinese women while young Chinese men differentiate less between Chinese/Asian versus Western media. Overall, results provided only weak support for the importance of Western media on body image of Chinese young adults. Therefore, indigenous media factors warrant more consideration in theory and research as well as in the creation of content of interventions to treat eating and body image concerns.