A New Measure of Body Image in Eating Disorders

NCT ID: NCT03758326

Last Updated: 2023-10-05

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: UNKNOWN
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 135 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2018-03-16
• Study Completion Date: 2024-11-30

Brief Summary

This study aims to compare a new electronic instrument called (here referred to as the 'Body App') with traditional paper and pencil rating scales for assessing how individuals with eating disorders evaluate their body image.

Detailed Description

Self-perceived weight or shape disturbance is a core symptom of eating disorders, with heavy therapeutic and prognostic relevance. Developing a reliable and unbiased method to assess body image disturbance is imperative, as feature characteristics of eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa, include the overestimation of body size and shape. Among the most essential features of the disorder, this inability to correctly judge one's own body image has been frequently linked to the maintenance of eating disorders. Moreover, persistent perceptual disturbance for one's visual appearance is one of the strong predictors of relapse in AN and bulimia nervosa.

Body image disturbance can be conceptualized as having two main components: perceptual, and attitudinal/affective. These might be considered two distinct constructs, best measured independently. However, clinicians currently rely upon self-report questionnaires that evaluate aggregates of symptoms, perceptual experiences, behaviors, and thoughts linked to the disorder. Some scales selectively evaluate body image characteristics such as body dissatisfaction and body distortion. However, it is unclear to what degree each of these measures quantifies the specific components of perceptual experiences vs. attitudinal/affective aspects. This study aims to evaluate whether a new electronic instrument, here referred to as the 'Body App', which separates estimations of body shape and size from the attitudinal/affective component might result in closer approximations of the perceptual component of weight or shape disturbance, and facilitate the assessment of body image disturbance in eating disorders.

Conditions

Eating Disorder

Study Design

• Allocation Method: NON_RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: DIAGNOSTIC
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

Eating disorder

Measurement of body image via Body App and relationship to body measurement

Group Type: OTHER

Body App

Intervention Type: OTHER

Participants will indicate areas of concern on a virtual manikin using an electronic online interface. Body measurements will also be collected.

Healthy comparison

Measurement of body image via Body App and relationship to body measurement

Group Type: OTHER

Body App

Intervention Type: OTHER

Participants will indicate areas of concern on a virtual manikin using an electronic online interface. Body measurements will also be collected.

Interventions

Body App

Participants will indicate areas of concern on a virtual manikin using an electronic online interface. Body measurements will also be collected.

Intervention Type: OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Primary clinical diagnosis of eating disorder
• Receiving inpatient treatment for eating disorder
• Body mass index greater than or equal to 14
• Independently ambulatory
• Possession of a smartphone with data plan
• English proficiency

• No current psychiatric diagnosis
• Body mass index greater than or equal to 14
• Independently ambulatory
• Possession of a smartphone with data plan
• English proficiency

Exclusion Criteria

• Active suicidal ideation
• Comorbid schizophrenia spectrum or other psychotic disorder.

Healthy comparison group:

• Body mass index > 41
• Active suicidal ideation

• Minimum Eligible Age: 13 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 64 Years
• Eligible Sex: FEMALE
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

Laureate Institute for Brain Research, Inc.

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Responsibility Role: SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

Sahib Khalsa, MD, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Laureate Institute for Brain Research

Locations

Laureate Institute for Brain Research

Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States

Countries

United States

Other Identifiers

2018-001-01

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id