Binge Eating Disorder, Obesity
Conditions
Keywords
Obesity, Weight gain prevention, Eating disorder, Binge eating
Brief summary
BEST4US compares the effectiveness of two forms of self-help interventions that target college students, ages 18 years to 22 years, who report binge eating. The overall question is whether one or the other format will prevent excess weight gain and lead to differences in eating behaviors. The two formats are (1) pure self-help (receipt of a self-help program via book form or online texts) and (2) a combination of the self-help program and guidance provided by a trained peer coach over the course of 8 weekly sessions.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALGuided Self-Help
BEHAVIORALPure Self-Help
Sponsors
Wesleyan University
Francine Rosselli
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
SINGLE (Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 22 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* binge eating episodes at least once per week in the past 28 days * 18 to 22 years old * full-time student at Wesleyan University (Middletown, CT, USA) or Manchester Community College (Manchester, CT, USA)
Exclusion criteria
* purging more than once per week in the past three months * BMI less than 18 or greater than/equal to 40 * currently pregnant * severe depressive symptoms or suicidality
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| BMI | Baseline, post-intervention (8-week), and 6-month follow-up | The primary outcome measure is change in BMI from randomization. Height and weight will be measured by study staff at the baseline visit using a stadiometer (collecting height measures twice and reporting the average) and a calibrated scale (light clothing, street shoes removed). BMI will be calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in squared centimeters. Weight will be re-measured at 8 week- and 6 month assessments. BMI change is a primary-, and incidence of obesity (i.e., obesity onset since baseline, BMI \> 30) is a secondary outcome variable. While we assess weight at the post-treatment assessment, the key question of our study is whether the intervention will reduce excess weight gain at 6-month follow-up. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Cessation of Binge Eating | Baseline, post-intervention (8-week), and 6-month follow-up | Binge eating is assessed by clinical interview using an abbreviated version of the Eating Disorders Examination (EDE-16e) at baseline, post-treatment (8-week), and 6-month follow-up. Specifically, the EDE sections on 7-day meal patterns, overeating episodes, and the frequency of inappropriate compensatory behaviors will be administered. The key question of our study is whether the intervention will eliminate binge eating at 6-month follow-up (no reported binge eating episodes in the 28 days prior to the 6-month follow-up). |
Countries
United States
Outcome results
None listed