Body Image, Eating Behavior, Eating Disorder Symptom, Psychological Distress
Conditions
Brief summary
Purpose: Research on intuitive eating is growing, but there are few interventions demonstrating the effect of learning to eat intuitively for people with disordered eating. Young women in particular are at high-risk for developing disordered eating. This study aimed to test the outcomes of a novel intuitive eating intervention for young women with disordered eating. Methods: This study is the first randomized controlled trial introducing intuitive eating to a sample of participants with disordered eating. Participants with current eating disorders were excluded from this study. Women (n=123) ages 18-30 with high levels of disordered eating participated in this study and were randomized to either a treatment (10-week web-based intervention) or control group (10-week waitlist).
Interventions
BEHAVIORALIntuitive Eating Treatment
Participants received a brief web-based intervention for disordered eating which focused on a style of eating behavior called intuitive eating. Please see arm description for more details.
Sponsors
Yeshiva University
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
FEMALE
Age
18 Years to 30 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* Female * Between 18 and 30 years of age * Located in the United States or Canada * No eating disorder * No previous participation in an intuitive eating intervention * Score greater than or equal to 25 on the TFEQ-r18 at baseline
Exclusion criteria
* Gender not female * Younger than 18 years of age * Older than 30 years of age * Located outside the United States or Canada * Score less than 25 on the TFEQ-r18 at baseline * Previously participated in an intuitive eating intervention * Current eating disorder
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Intuitive Eating | Baseline (Time 1) through study completion, 10 weeks (Time 2) | Intuitive eating was measured by the Intuitive Eating Scale, 2nd edition (IES-2). Scores on this scale range from 1 to 5, with higher scores indicating greater levels of Intuitive Eating. |
| Disordered Eating | Baseline (Time 1) through study completion, 10 weeks (Time 2) | Revised Three Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ-r18) |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Psychological Flexibility | Baseline (Time 1) through study completion, 10 weeks (Time 2) | Psychological flexibility was measured by the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire, 2nd edition (AAQ-2). Scores on this scale range from 7 to 49, with higher scores indicating greater psychological flexibility. |
| Body Appreciation | Baseline (Time 1) through study completion, 10 weeks (Time 2) | Body appreciation was measured by the Body Appreciation Scale, 2nd edition (BAS-2). Scores on this scale range from 13 to 65, with higher scores indicating greater levels of body appreciation. |
| Body Mass Index (BMI) | Baseline (Time 1) through study completion, 10 weeks (Time 2) | Weight/Height used to calculate BMI |
| Food Intake | Baseline (Time 1) through study completion, 10 weeks (Time 2) | Food intake was measured by the NHANES Food Frequency Questionnaire (NHANES-FFQ), which collects data on respondents' food intake. Participants are asked to recall the frequency in which they consumed various food items over the past 3 days. Frequencies are grouped by food type (i.e., vegetables, fruits, dairy, etc.) and summed. |
| Dichotomous Thinking Around Food | Baseline (Time 1) through study completion, 10 weeks (Time 2) | Dichotomous thinking around food was measured by the Dichotomous Thinking Scale (DT). Scores on this scale range from 11 to 44, with higher scores indicating greater levels of dichotomous thinking around food. |
Countries
United States
Outcome results
None listed