Body checking and body image avoidance: Construct validity and norms for college women

• Body checking and body image avoidance are two body image behaviors.
• Norms for the BCQ and BIAQ in college women can inform clinical work and research.
• Factor analyses had good fit with modified factor structures for the BCQ and BIAQ.
• Factor structure held for both African American and White subsamples.
• African Americans had lower scores compared with White participants.

The current study explored the prevalence of body checking and body image avoidance behaviors in a large sample of undergraduate women (N = 1011). The factor structures of two relevant measures, the Body Checking Questionnaire and the Body Image Avoidance Questionnaire, were compared with factor structures proposed by the development studies. Subscales are described, and the influence of race on responses examined. Results suggest these scales are valid in White and African American samples with a modified factor structure. Findings can inform clinical and research use of these measures, although additional experimental research is needed.