Peer-Led Dissonance Eating Disorder Prevention: Virtual Delivery

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Eating Disorders
• Interventions: Behavioral: Peer Led Group Intervention

• Registration Number: NCT04433247
• Lead Sponsor: Stanford University

Brief Summary

This proposed pilot study will evaluate whether this body acceptance class produces greater reductions in eating disorder risk factor symptoms (pursuit of the thin ideal, body dissatisfaction, dieting, dietary restraint and negative affect), eating disorder symptoms, and future onset of eating disorders over 6-month follow-up in this population.

Detailed Description

Dozens of eating disorder prevention programs have been evaluated, but only the 4-hr Body Project has reduced eating disorder symptoms and future eating disorder onset over 3-4 year follow-up, produced larger reductions in outcomes than credible alternative interventions, been shown to engage the intervention target (valuation of the thin beauty ideal), and produced effects in trials from several independent teams. Although undergraduate peer-educator-led Body Project groups have produced larger reductions in outcomes than an eating disorder education video, an unmoderated Internet-based prevention program, and even clinician-led Body Project groups, it can be logistically difficult to schedule in-person Body Project groups with high school and college students. One solution to this key implementation barrier is to have peer educators deliver Body Project groups virtually over the Internet. A pilot trial in Sweden provided initial evidence that virtually-delivered peer-led Body Project groups produced greater reductions in eating disorder symptoms and future onset of eating disorders than an active expressive-writing intervention. The proposed pilot study will evaluate whether Body Project produces greater reductions in risk factor symptoms, eating disorder symptoms, and future onset of eating disorders in this population.

Participation in the intervention will last four weeks. Participants will be randomly assigned to the intervention condition or waitlist-control condition. Assessments will take place at pre-intervention, post-intervention, and 6 month follow up. Waitlist control participants will receive the intervention after they complete their post-test assessment.

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2020-03-03
• Study First Submitted: 2020-06-10
• Study First Submitted QC: 2020-06-12
• Study First Posted: 2020-06-16
• Primary Completion: 2021-05-31
• Study Completion: 2021-05-31
• Status Verified: 2021-09
• Last Update Submitted: 2021-09-27
• Last Update Posted: 2021-09-28

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: Female
• Target Recruitment: 75

Inclusion Criteria

• Body image concerns

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Exclusion Criteria

• N/A

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Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Peer Led Group Intervention	Peer Led Group Intervention	In the virtual peer-led group Intervention, participants voluntarily engage in verbal, written, and behavioral exercises in which they critique and discuss the costs of pursuing the thin-ideal ideal. The intervention is 4 sessions long (1-hr each) and is administered by trained peer facilitators who use an intervention script. Participants will be asked to complete weekly home exercises throughout the course of the intervention.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Change over time in Body Dissatisfaction	pre intervention obtained on intake, immediately post intervention, and 6-months after the conclusion of the intervention	Ten items from the Satisfaction and Dissatisfaction with Body Parts Scale assessed satisfaction with body parts with a response scale ranging from 1 = extremely dissatisfied to 6 = extremely satisfied
Change over time in Thin Ideal Internalization	pre intervention obtained on intake, immediately post intervention, and 6-months after the conclusion of the intervention	The eight-item Ideal-Body Stereotype Scale-Revised will assess endorsement of the thin beauty ideal using a response scale ranging from 1 = strongly disagree to 5 = strongly agree.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Change over time in Negative Affect	pre intervention obtained on intake, immediately post intervention, and 6-months after the conclusion of the intervention	Twenty items from the sadness, guilt, and fear/anxiety subscales from the Positive Affect and Negative Affect Scale-Revised will assess negative affect. Participants reported the extent to which they had felt negative emotions on scales ranging from 1 = very slightly or not at all to 5 = extremely.
Change over time in Dieting	pre intervention obtained on intake, immediately post intervention, and 6-months after the conclusion of the intervention	The 10-item Dutch Restrained Eating Scale will assess the frequency of dieting behaviors using a response scale ranging from 1 = never to 5 = always.
Change over time in Eating Disorder symptoms	pre intervention obtained on intake, immediately post intervention, and 6-months after the conclusion of the intervention	Interviewer assesses frequency of eating disorder behaviors using Eating Disorder Diagnostic Interview

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Stanford University School of Medicine; 🇺🇸 Stanford, California, United States