Development and Validation of the Body Neutrality Questionnaire

OBJECTIVE: Body neutrality has emerged as an alternative framework within the positive body image literature. This study developed the Body Neutrality Questionnaire (BNQ), the first validated measure of body neutrality for young adults. METHOD: An initial item pool was developed using expert consultation and focus group review. This process resulted in 21 items which were administered online to young adults aged 18-25 years, 52.9% female (N = 293) in study 1, and to undergraduate psychology students aged 17-52 years, 82.2% female (N = 231) in study 2. Study 1 used exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to explore the structure of the construct, which was then examined using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) in study 2. RESULTS: The EFA revealed a 12-item three-factor model: Self-Worth not Contingent on Body, Body Gratitude and Care, and Neutral Attitude toward Body, demonstrating good reliability and validity. This factor structure was replicated in the CFA, demonstrating good model fit, internal consistency and convergent validity, with the bifactor CFA model indicating the relevance of a single body neutrality factor. There was a strong, positive correlation between the BNQ and a measure of body appreciation. DISCUSSION: Findings provide support for the BNQ as a reliable and valid measure of body neutrality. These results represent an important first step in our ability to further our understanding of body neutrality, its conceptual similarities and differences to existing body image constructs, and its role in non-clinical samples. Future research should explore measurement invariance of the BNQ over time, in clinical samples, and for key demographic variables.