Preventing eating disorders with an interactive gender-adapted intervention program in schools: study protocol of a randomized controlled trial.

Angelika Weigel,Georg Romer,Bernd Löwe,Natalie Uhlenbusch,Karl Wegscheider,Antje Gumz

doi:10.1186/s12888-015-0405-1

Abstract

BackgroundThere are a high number of adolescents who are at risk of developing an eating disorder. There is, therefore, a strong need to implement prevention programs aimed at reducing the incidence of eating disorders at this critical age. Among other factors, successful prevention programs have been shown to be interactive, carried out by professionals, focused on educational as well as psychosocial elements and have taken risk factors as well as resources into account. The objective of this study protocol is to present the design of a new prevention program for eating disorders in schools.Methods/DesignThe gender-adapted prevention program extends over six school hours. It contains interactive and educational elements about eating disorders and their treatment. Participants pass through different exercises and reflect on the influences of the media, self-esteem, body perception and individual resources. A cluster-randomized controlled trial is chosen to evaluate the program. Based on an estimated effect size of d = 0.3 a total of 1848 participants are enrolled in the study. Eating disorder risk, internalization of Western beauty ideals, body dissatisfaction, self-concept as well as anxiety and symptoms of depression are measured before and immediately after the intervention as well as at a six-month follow-up. In addition, the intervention group evaluates the different components of the program.DiscussionThe study intends to test the practicability and efficacy of an interactive, gender-adapted ED prevention program in schools. Moreover, it will provide valuable information about the occurrence of eating disorder risk factors in school-aged children.Trial registrationISRCTN97989348; Registered 19 December 2012.

Highlights

There are a high number of adolescents who are at risk of developing an eating disorder
It is hypothesized that the prevention program decreases individual eating disorders (EDs) risk in participants
It is expected that the prevention program increases knowledge about EDs and reduces body dissatisfaction as well as symptoms of depression and anxiety

Summary

Introduction

There are a high number of adolescents who are at risk of developing an eating disorder. There is, a strong need to implement prevention programs aimed at reducing the incidence of eating disorders at this critical age. What is common to all disorders is a definite disturbance of eating habits or weight control behaviors and patients often transition between fulfilling the criteria for different diagnoses [2]. EDs occur remarkably less frequently than other mental disorders. AN was found to be the most frequent with a 12-month prevalence of 0.7%, followed by a prevalence of 0.2% for BN and 0.1% for BED [3]. EDs occur significantly less frequently in males than in females with a proportion of 10% of all cases in AN and BN and 30% in BED [6]. As well as the individual burden, the treatment of EDs is associated with high health care system costs [8]

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