Is my body better than yours? Validation of the German version of the Upward and Downward Physical Appearance Comparison Scales in individuals with and without eating disorders.

Kristine Schönhals, Hannah L Quittkat, Mona M Voges, Gritt Ladwig, Friederike-Johanna Holtmann, Silja Vocks

Abstract read

In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in psychology, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it

0cells of the map it votes in

3citing papers in PubMed

–field-weighted citation impact

1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

Addressing the Negative Impact of Social Media on Body Image: An Online Randomized Controlled Pilot Trial.The International journal of eating disorders · 2026
Trial
Fitspiration, Thinspiration, Body Positivity, and Body Neutrality Contents on Image-Based Social Media: Associations With Body Image, Mood, Self-Esteem, and Disordered Eating Behavior in Women With and Without Self-Reported Eating Disorders-An Ecological Momentary Assessment Study.The International journal of eating disorders · 2026
Article
Upward comparison predicts an increase in state body dissatisfaction after fitspiration exposure.Scientific reports · 2025
Article

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Kristine SchönhalsDepartment of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Institute of Psychology, Osnabrück University, Osnabrück, Germany.

Hannah L QuittkatDepartment of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Institute of Psychology, Osnabrück University, Osnabrück, Germany.

Mona M VogesDepartment of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Institute of Psychology, Osnabrück University, Osnabrück, Germany.

Gritt LadwigDepartment of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Institute of Psychology, Osnabrück University, Osnabrück, Germany.

Friederike-Johanna HoltmannDepartment of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Institute of Psychology, Osnabrück University, Osnabrück, Germany.

Silja VocksDepartment of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Institute of Psychology, Osnabrück University, Osnabrück, Germany.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Introduction: This study examines the psychometric properties of a German version of the Upward and Downward Physical Appearance Comparison Scales (UPACS and DACS). Methods: A total of 2,114 participants, consisting of 1,360 women without eating disorders ( Results: Structural equation modeling confirmed the proposed one-factor structure of the original English-language version of the DACS but not of the UPACS. Both scales showed good internal consistency and test-retest reliability. The UPACS and DACS showed the expected correlations with related constructs, indicating acceptable construct validity, with some limitations for women with eating disorders. Discussion: Overall, this study indicates that the German versions of the UPACS and DACS are psychometrically suitable for assessing upward and downward physical appearance comparisons in women and men without eating disorders and women with eating disorders in research and clinical practice.

Indexed as

body dissatisfactionbody imagedownward physical appearance comparisoneating disorderssocial comparisonupward physical appearance comparisonvalidation

Identifiers

PMID38899131

DOI10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1390063

PMCPMC11186468

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