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Acceptability and Feasibility of a Single-Session Online Parent-Focused Intervention Targeting Child Body Image Development

NCT ID: NCT07179068

Last Updated: 2025-12-18

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

100 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2025-11-01

Study Completion Date

2026-01-31

Brief Summary

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Body image concerns have been linked to diverse mental health issues, including depression and disordered eating. Disordered eating can develop into clinically significant eating disorders, which are associated with serious negative impacts on psychological and physical well-being, and can adversely impact developmental trajectories in children and adolescents. Given limitations in the eating disorder intervention literature, it is important to invest in effective eating disorder prevention programs. Evidence suggests that children can recognize the existence of societal appearance ideals as early as age 3; thus, this study examines the acceptability and feasibility of a single-session, online, parent-focused intervention targeting predictors of body image disturbance in young children.

Detailed Description

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Body image concerns have been linked longitudinally to diverse mental health issues, including disordered eating. Disordered eating can develop into clinically significant eating disorders, which are associated with serious psychological and physical sequelae and can adversely impact developmental trajectories in children and adolescents. The mortality rate associated with eating disorders is second only to that of opiate addiction. Existing treatments for eating disorders remain only moderately effective, with \~40% remission rates for anorexia and bulimia nervosa. It is therefore important to examine early risk factors for the development of body image concerns to inform preventive approaches suitable for intervening early on in the development of disordered eating.

Evidence suggests that children can recognize the existence of societal appearance ideals as early as age 3; in fact, exposure to appearance-focused media at age 3 is prospectively predictive of positive associations with thinness at age 4 and dietary restraint behaviors at age 5. These findings suggest an important role of societal appearance ideals in fostering body discontent and point to the media as a crucial source of communication of these ideals to children. Parents have a great deal, if not all, control over the information their young children are exposed to within the home and from the outside world. The proposed study is based on the assumption that intervening with parents of young children, with a focus on education about the impact of media exposure, can reduce body image disturbance and prevent the future development of disordered eating. Thus, this study explores the acceptability and feasibility of a single-session, online, parent-focused intervention targeting predictors of body image disturbance in young children.

Conditions

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Eating Disorders Body Image Disturbance Weight Bias

Keywords

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Eating Disorder Prevention Restriction Loss of Control Eating Body Image Single Session Intervention

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

For the initial phase of the study, investigators will randomize 24 participants to one of the four modules in the study and receive detailed qualitative feedback from those participants (6 assigned to each module; 3 mothers and 3 fathers). For the second phase of the study (the randomized controlled trial portion of the project), which assesses acceptability, feasibility, and initial efficacy, investigators will randomize 100 parents to either the intervention group or the control group. The intervention group will view the entire intervention (all 4 modules) and complete knowledge checks at the end of the intervention. The control group will only complete the knowledge checks. Investigators will compare performance on the knowledge checks in the treatment and control groups as a measure of initial efficacy.
Primary Study Purpose

PREVENTION

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Study Groups

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Intervention

In phase 2, 50 participants will be randomized to complete the entire intervention; the intervention/workshop will consist of four modules: Body Image Development/Body Talk, Food Talk, Picky Eating and Mealtime Conversations, and Media Usage and Social Comparison. Each module will be approximately 10 minutes. After parents complete all four modules, they will complete measures of acceptability and feasibility, including reporting which module they found most useful. They will also complete knowledge checks.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Child Body Image Development Workshop

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

This is an online, single-session, modular intervention for parents of children that are two-to-six years old. It is designed to target and improve child body image development by providing psychoeducation and interactive activities to parents in each of the four modules. Modules include Body Image Development/Body Talk, Food Talk, Picky Eating and Mealtime Conversations, and Media Usage and Social Comparison. These modules were designed using the results of our previously completed Needs Assessment, as well as the current evidence-base regarding risk factors for the development of body image in young children.

Control

In Phase 2, 50 parents will be randomized into the control group. This group will receive no intervention. They will only complete the knowledge checks. These knowledge checks will be the same checks completed by the intervention group.

Group Type NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

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Child Body Image Development Workshop

This is an online, single-session, modular intervention for parents of children that are two-to-six years old. It is designed to target and improve child body image development by providing psychoeducation and interactive activities to parents in each of the four modules. Modules include Body Image Development/Body Talk, Food Talk, Picky Eating and Mealtime Conversations, and Media Usage and Social Comparison. These modules were designed using the results of our previously completed Needs Assessment, as well as the current evidence-base regarding risk factors for the development of body image in young children.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

Inclusion Criteria: Must be at least 18 years old and reside in the US. They must also be the parent of a young child between the ages of 2-6.

Exclusion Criteria: None beyond not meeting inclusion criteria.
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sponsors

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University at Albany

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Locations

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Prolific Online Survey Platform

Albany, New York, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

Countries

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United States

Central Contacts

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Anna A Love, M.A.

Role: CONTACT

Phone: 5184424911

Email: [email protected]

Julia M Hormes, Ph.D.

Role: CONTACT

Phone: 518-442-4911

Email: [email protected]

Facility Contacts

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Anna A Love, MA

Role: primary

Julia M Hormes, Ph.D.

Role: backup

Other Identifiers

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24-0041UA

Identifier Type: OTHER_GRANT

Identifier Source: secondary_id

PrBI1243

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id