The Body Project: Comparing the Effectiveness of an In-person and Virtually Delivered Intervention.
Study Details
Study Description
Brief Summary
This present study will compare the efficacy of in-person versus virtually-delivered Body Project groups. It will also 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, negative affect, eating disorder symptoms, and the future onset of eating disorders over a 3-month follow-up in this population. It will also evaluate the effectiveness of this body acceptance class's ability to impact social appearance anxiety, body compassion, and self-stigma surrounding attaining help.
| Condition or Disease | Intervention/Treatment | Phase |
|---|---|---|
|
N/A |
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. The proposed study will evaluate the effectiveness of a peer-implemented, virtually delivered, body acceptance class compared to a peer-implemented, in-person delivery of the same class. Participation in the intervention will last four weeks. Participants will be randomly assigned to the in-person or virtual body acceptance class. Assessments will take place at pre-intervention, post-intervention, and 3-month follow-up.
Study Design
Arms and Interventions
| Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
|---|---|
| Experimental: Body Project: In Person Delivery In the in-person 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. |
Behavioral: Peer Led Group Intervention
A four-week dissonance-based program where individuals with body image concerns complete verbal, written, and behavioral activities. The program consists of four 60-minute sessions
Other Names:
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| Experimental: Body Project: Virtual Delivery In the virtual peer-led group intervention held over Zoom, 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. |
Behavioral: Peer Led Group Intervention
A four-week dissonance-based program where individuals with body image concerns complete verbal, written, and behavioral activities. The program consists of four 60-minute sessions
Other Names:
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Outcome Measures
Primary Outcome Measures
- Change over time in Body Dissatisfaction [Pre intervention obtained on intake, and immediately post 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, and immediately post 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
- Change over time in Negative Affect [Pre intervention obtained on intake, and immediately post 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, and immediately post 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.
- Body Comparison Orientation [Pre intervention obtained on intake, and immediately post intervention.]
The six selected items from the Body, Eating, and Exercise Comparison Orientation Scale will assess the frequency of body comparisons using a response scale ranging from 1 = strongly disagree to 5 = strongly agree.
- Change over time in Social Appearance Anxiety [Pre intervention obtained on intake, and immediately post intervention.]
The 16-item Social Appearance Anxiety Scale will assess levels of social appearance anxiety using a response scale ranging from 1 = not at all to 5 = extremely.
- Change over time in Body Compassion [Pre intervention obtained on intake, and immediately post intervention.]
The 10-item Body Appreciation Scale-2 will assess levels of body compassion using a response scale ranging from 1 = never to 5 = always.
- Change over time in Self-Stigma of Seeking Help Scale [Pre intervention obtained on intake, and immediately post intervention.]
The 10-item Self-Stigma of Seeking Help Scale will assess participants' views towards seeking help using a scale ranging from 1 = strongly disagree to 5 = strongly agree.
- Change over time in Eating Disorder symptoms [Pre intervention and 3 months after the end of the intervention.]
Interviewer assesses frequency of eating disorder behaviors using Eating Disorder Diagnostic Interview.
- Body Project Specific Attitude Measures [Pre intervention obtained on intake, and immediately post intervention.]
7 items assessing attitudes that are targeted as part of The Body Project training using a response scale ranging from 1 = strongly disagree to 5 = strongly agree.
- Body Project Specific Outcome Measures [Pre intervention obtained on intake, and immediately post intervention.]
7 items assessing attitudes that are targeted as part of The Body Project training using a response scale ranging from 1 = strongly disagree to 5 = strongly agree.
Eligibility Criteria
Criteria
Inclusion Criteria: Participants had to express body image concerns and all gender identities besides cisgender and transgender men were eligible.
Exclusion Criteria:
- Cisgender and transgender men were excluded due to the fact that The Body Project is typically administered with groups of all cisgender women.
Contacts and Locations
Locations
| Site | City | State | Country | Postal Code | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stanford University | Palo Alto | California | United States | 94306 |
| 2 | St. Mary's College of Maryland | Saint Marys City | Maryland | United States | 20686 |
Sponsors and Collaborators
- Stanford University
Investigators
- Principal Investigator: Eric Stice, PhD, Stanford University
Study Documents (Full-Text)
None provided.More Information
Publications
None provided.- 64138