The Effects of Yoga on Body Image in College Women

Sponsor

University of Delaware (Other)

Overall Status

Completed

CT.gov ID

NCT03262350

Collaborator

University of Minnesota (Other), The Emily Program (Other), Neuropsychiatric Research Institute (Other)

Enrollment

Location

Arms

27.8

Actual Duration (Months)

1.9

Patients Per Site Per Month

Study Details

Study Description

Brief Summary

The purpose of this study is to assess the effects of a regular yoga practice on body image in college women.

Condition or Disease	Intervention/Treatment	Phase
Body Image Eating Disorder Obesity Yoga	Behavioral: Yoga	N/A

Detailed Description

A randomized controlled design will be used to study the effects of a regular yoga practice on body image in young adult women. Fifty female freshman, sophomores, and juniors between the ages of 18 and 26 years will be recruited from the University of Delaware student population, specifically targeting those new to yoga. Age, academic standing, availability and prior yoga experience will be evaluated.

Consented individuals will be randomized to one of two conditions: (1) yoga (offered 3 times per week) for 10 weeks; or (2) a control group. Baseline assessments, midpoint assessments, and end-of-study assessments will be conducted on all participants. Participants will be compensated for their attendance at assessment visits.

Study Design

Study Type:

Interventional

Actual Enrollment :

53 participants

Allocation:

Randomized

Intervention Model:

Parallel Assignment

Masking:

None (Open Label)

Primary Purpose:

Prevention

Official Title:

Can Yoga Reduce Body Image Concerns in Females, Thereby Reducing Risk of Obesity and Eating Disorders?

Actual Study Start Date :

Feb 6, 2017

Actual Primary Completion Date :

Aug 30, 2017

Actual Study Completion Date :

Jun 1, 2019

Arms and Interventions

Arm	Intervention/Treatment
Experimental: Yoga Group Participants are required to attend three assessment visits. During these assessments, participants will complete a questionnaire that will ask about their eating patterns, body image, sleep habits, and loneliness and have their height and weight measured. Participants are also required to attend 50-minute yoga classes on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 1:25-2:15pm for 10 weeks. The overall time commitment for Yoga Group participants is 3 hours of assessments and 50-minute yoga classes 3X week for 10 weeks.	Behavioral: Yoga The yoga classes will be adapted to all levels of experience, mobility, and body size. Specific breathing techniques and body positive language will be incorporated into a body-positive yoga training done by Ms. Lisa Diers, RDN, E-RYT, YACEP. Less focus will be placed on precision of the poses, instead focus will be on body feelings, except where physically dangerous. Thus, the overall focus will be on listening to one's own body. List of messages will be carefully designed to be related to eating and weight, but to not be directly discussed. Ms. Diers will travel to Delaware to lead the intervention training for yoga instructors prior to the study taking place.
No Intervention: Control Group Participants will be required to attend three assessment visits. During these assessments, participants will complete a questionnaire that will ask about their eating patterns, health habits, body image, sleep habits and loneliness and have their height and weight measured. The overall time commitment for Control Group participants is 3 hours of assessments total.

Arm

Intervention/Treatment

Experimental: Yoga Group

Participants are required to attend three assessment visits. During these assessments, participants will complete a questionnaire that will ask about their eating patterns, body image, sleep habits, and loneliness and have their height and weight measured. Participants are also required to attend 50-minute yoga classes on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 1:25-2:15pm for 10 weeks. The overall time commitment for Yoga Group participants is 3 hours of assessments and 50-minute yoga classes 3X week for 10 weeks.

Behavioral: Yoga

The yoga classes will be adapted to all levels of experience, mobility, and body size. Specific breathing techniques and body positive language will be incorporated into a body-positive yoga training done by Ms. Lisa Diers, RDN, E-RYT, YACEP. Less focus will be placed on precision of the poses, instead focus will be on body feelings, except where physically dangerous. Thus, the overall focus will be on listening to one's own body. List of messages will be carefully designed to be related to eating and weight, but to not be directly discussed. Ms. Diers will travel to Delaware to lead the intervention training for yoga instructors prior to the study taking place.

No Intervention: Control Group

Participants will be required to attend three assessment visits. During these assessments, participants will complete a questionnaire that will ask about their eating patterns, health habits, body image, sleep habits and loneliness and have their height and weight measured. The overall time commitment for Control Group participants is 3 hours of assessments total.

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

Body Image [10 weeks]
assessed using Body Image Quality of Life Inventory
body image [10 weeks]
assessed using Mind Body Self Relations Questionnaire

Secondary Outcome Measures

change in Body Mass Index [10 weeks]
weight and height will be combined to report BMI in kg/m^2
disordered eating attitudes/behaviors [10 weeks]
assessed using the Eating Attitudes Test-26
disordered eating attitudes/behaviors [10 weeks]
assessed using the Binge Eating Scale

Eligibility Criteria

Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study:

18 Years to 26 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study:

Female

Accepts Healthy Volunteers:

Inclusion Criteria:

Freshman, sophomore, or junior at the University of Delaware
Available Spring 2017 on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 1:25-2:15pm
Physically able to participate in yoga

Exclusion Criteria:

Females who are seniors at the University of Delaware (This is because participants in the control condition will be given a pass to participate in group fitness at the end of the study, and would not be able to use this incentive if they are seniors)

Contacts and Locations

Locations

	Site	City	State	Country	Postal Code
1	University of Delaware	Newark	Delaware	United States	19711

Sponsors and Collaborators

University of Delaware
University of Minnesota
The Emily Program
Neuropsychiatric Research Institute

Investigators

None specified.

Study Documents (Full-Text)

None provided.

More Information

Publications

None provided.

Responsible Party:

Carly R Pacanowski, Assistant Professor, University of Delaware

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:

NCT03262350

Other Study ID Numbers:

REF AWARD# 0001271422

First Posted:

Aug 25, 2017

Last Update Posted:

Apr 27, 2021

Last Verified:

Apr 1, 2021

Individual Participant Data (IPD) Sharing Statement:

Plan to Share IPD:

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Drug Product:

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Device Product:

Additional relevant MeSH terms:

Obesity

Feeding and Eating Disorders

Study Results

No Results Posted as of Apr 27, 2021