Peer-Led Dissonance Eating Disorder Prevention: Virtual Delivery

NCT ID: NCT04433247

Last Updated: 2021-09-28

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 75 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2020-03-03
• Study Completion Date: 2021-05-31

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.

Conditions

Eating Disorders

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: PREVENTION
• Blinding Strategy: SINGLE

Study Groups

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.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Peer Led Group Intervention

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Four week dissonance-based program wherein women with body image concerns complete verbal, written, and behavioral activities. The program consist of four 60-minute sessions.

Wait-List Control

Participants will be placed on a wait list for four weeks, an equal span of time of participants in the peer led group intervention. At four weeks, participants will complete their post-test assessment, then receive the intervention.

Group Type: NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

Peer Led Group Intervention

Four week dissonance-based program wherein women with body image concerns complete verbal, written, and behavioral activities. The program consist of four 60-minute sessions.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Other Intervention Names

Body Project

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Body image concerns

Exclusion Criteria

• N/A

• Minimum Eligible Age: 16 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 26 Years
• Eligible Sex: FEMALE
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

Stanford University

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Eric Stice

Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Eric Stice, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Stanford University

Locations

Stanford University School of Medicine

Stanford, California, United States

Countries

United States

References

Stice E, Bohon C, Shaw H, Desjardins CD. Efficacy of virtual delivery of a dissonance-based eating disorder prevention program and evaluation of a donation model to support sustained implementation. J Consult Clin Psychol. 2023 Mar;91(3):139-149. doi: 10.1037/ccp0000796. Epub 2023 Feb 6.

Reference Type: DERIVED

PMID: 36745074 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

54596

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id