Marisol Mora

Qualitative findings in a long-term disordered eating prevention programme follow-up with school-going girls

The assessment of eating disorder prevention-programmes has mainly been addressed quantitatively excluding complexity that may improve prevention. We compared perceptions of eating, female and male aesthetic-models, media influences, prevention-programmes and emerging topics among 12 young females who received a media literacy programme (N = 4), media literacy plus nutrition awareness programme (N = 4) or were assigned to a control condition (N = 4). Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis highlighted ego-syntonic eating-patterns and signs of internalization of the thin ideal. Findings provide invaluable and rich information to improve future iterations of the programme.

Association of biological, psychological and lifestyle risk factors for eating disturbances in adolescents.

We aimed to assess the association of several risk factors for eating disturbances in adolescents. Participants were 448 girls and boys aged 12–15 years. Being female, higher body mass index, internalisation of standard of appearance, perfectionism, body dissatisfaction, number of lifetime addictive behaviours and lower self-esteem were associated with higher eating disturbance scores, whereas frequency of sedentary behaviours and physical activity were not (R2 ⩾ 41%). Findings suggest the need to guide prevention efforts towards the broad spectrum of individual potentially modifiable factors. A non-specific comprehensive perspective may be adequate to prevent problems related to weight, body image and drug use.

Pilot assessment of two disordered eating prevention programs. Preliminary findings on maladaptive beliefs related to eating disorders.

AIMS As eating disorders have severe consequences, they require prevention. We aimed to compare maladaptive beliefs related to eating disorders by following two programs based on media literacy in adolescents at post-test intervention, and after 6 and 12month-follow-ups. The Male and Female Nutrition and Media Literacy Model preventive program (NUT+MEF+MEM+ML in Spanish) and the Theater Alive program are both based on the same contents, the former being presented in a multimedia and interactive format and the latter in a drama format. Both were compared to a control group without intervention, whose participants received usual classes before the assessments. METHOD Participants were 178 adolescents in the second year of compulsory secondary education from fours schools of Terrassa (Catalonia, Spain). All participants in each school were assigned to the same group, depending on school schedules. A mixed 3 (group: Theater Alive, NUT+MEF+MEM+ML, control)×3 (time: post-test, 6-month-follow-up, 12-month-follow-up) factorial design was used to evaluate the effect on maladaptive beliefs measured using a CE-TCA tool. RESULTS When compared to the control group, both Theater Alive (d=0.88) and NUT+MEM+MEF+ML (d=0.60) obtained lower scores over time, the latter being not statistically significant. DISCUSSION The Theater Alive program may produce an effect of cognitive dissonance that might eliminate the discrepancy between the contents of the play and those that are internalized, thus modifying maladaptive beliefs. Participants in the Theater Alive program, as actors in front of an audience, had to defend certain content that was rehearsed over and over again to the point until it became internalized.

Gender differences found in a qualitative study of a disordered eating prevention programme: What do boys have to say?

Qualitative studies examining gender differences of eating disorder prevention programmes are scarce. We aimed to evaluate gender differences in adolescents who participated in a larger study on effectiveness of a disordered eating prevention programme. Perceptions of eating, female and male aesthetic models, media influences, prevention programmes and emerging topics from 12 school-going boys who received a media-literacy programme (n = 4), media-literacy plus nutrition-awareness programme (n = 4) or neither (n = 4) were explored using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis and compared with previous results in girls. Findings suggest that the prevention programme is effective for both genders. Gender differences and consumer-culture influences may be considered in future interventions.