GoodForm: An intervention to enhance body image and prevent doping and supplement use in adolescent boys

OVERVIEW Goodform is a 1 hr x four weekly sessions educational program for boys aged 14-15 aimed at improving body image, reducing positive attitudes towards doping in sport, and reducing intentions to use appearance and performance enhancing substances (APES). The program is based on two highly successful existing programs; ATLAS (Goldberg et al., 1996) and The Body Project (Stice et al., 2000), and uses a dissonance-based approach and a social norms approach to achieve outcomes. The intervention will be delivered by Health and Physical Education (HPE) teachers of boys in year 9, during weekly face to face HPE classes at participants' schools. All teachers will receive a facilitator workbook (specifically designed for this program) with structured activities and explanations for how to deliver the program. Attendance of participants will be monitored using attendance sheets each lesson. Adherence to session content will be monitored using a self-report checklist completed by the teacher following each lesson. The intervention will take place over the course of four HPE classes. Each lesson will cover a set of structured activities. Session 1 introduces cultural ideals around appearance, and helps boys learn to challenge these ideals. Session 2 introduces supplements and steroids, and helps boys learn about the social, financial, and health risks of these substances. Session 3 is structured around critiquing the use of APES and developing strategies to argue against using them. Session 4 takes an advocacy-based approach, with boys presenting a campaign against one of four types of APES, and identifying ways they can advocate against APES in their everyday lives. Sessions 2-4 take a Jigsaw approach to learning. The classroom will be split up into four groups, with each group learning about a different APES in each activity, so that eventually all boys have learned about each substance. MATERIALS Facilitator workbook - teachers all receive a facilitator workbook (designed specifically for this study) that explains the theoretical basis and evidence for the program's activities, and how to facilitate all activities. The workbook can be accessed by emailing the researchers. Student workbook - students receive a student workbook (designed specifically for this study), in which the majority of activities are completed. The workbook contains 10 worksheets, completed throughout the four intervention sessions. The workbook can be accessed by emailing the researchers. Digital cultural ideal tool - Found at http://goodform.org.au/ - this tool introduces boys to the cultural ideal in session 1. Videos - Five videos have been developed for Goodform. Four focus on the risks of using APES, and are used for boys to learn about these substances. Links are below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZgbmgsRi7s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYZle8EyotE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-r7U8Fw7jY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaQmCKnhQtA One was developed to highlight the social and emotional risks of using APES, and is accompanied by in-class discussion around help-seeking for body image and APES use. Link here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyCG_4IO-UU