Eating Attitudes
Conditions
Keywords
self esteem, body image perception, anxiety
Brief summary
Background: Disturbed eating attitudes are complex mental health conditions that often involve distorted body-image perception, low self-esteem, and heightened anxiety, and affect physical, emotional, and social well-being. Globally, they are considered major mental health problems, particularly among adolescents and young adults. So, this study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy integrated with psychoeducation on self-esteem, body-image perception, and anxiety among female university students with disturbed eating attitudes. Subjects and method: A quasi-experimental research (pre/post) two groups (study/control) design was utilized from JAN 2026 to APRIL 2026. Setting: The study was conducted at the four faculties, Menoufia University, Menoufia Governorate, Egypt. Subjects: A purposive sample of 120 students was selected from the previously mentioned setting. Tools of data collection: Five valid tools were used in data collection, tool 1: A structured interview questionnaire to assess socio-demographic characteristics of the studied subjects, tool 2: Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) a widely used measure of self-esteem, tool 3: Body Appreciation Scale (BAS) to assess positive body image by measuring acceptance, favorable opinions, respect, and protective behaviors toward one's body, tool 4: Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) to measure the severity of anxiety symptoms in adults and adolescents, tool 5: The Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26) widely used screening tools for identifying symptoms of anorexia nervosa and other eating disorders in both clinical and non-clinical populations. Data was analyzed at two points: pre- and post-intervention. Results: Showed no statistically significant differences between the two groups in the levels of self-esteem, body image perception, anxiety, and disturbed eating attitudes pre-intervention. But post intervention, the study group exhibited significant improvement in self-esteem, body image perception, anxiety, and disturbed eating attitudes. Conclusion: The acceptance and commitment therapy integrated with psychoeducation effectively enhances self-esteem, body-image perception, reduces anxiety, and improves disturbed eating attitudes among female university students with disturbed eating attitudes (study group). Recommendations: Offer simulation-based training for handling complex eating disorder cases, establish multidisciplinary teams (Nurses, psychologists, dietitians) for holistic care plans, Advocate for community awareness programs to reduce stigma and promote early intervention, and develop digital well-being initiatives, including social media detox strategies, as part of adolescence education.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALreceive acceptance and commitment therapy integrated with psychoeducation intervention sessions
-Study group students were divided into 6 subgroups of 10 students each. Each subgroup was provided with eight acceptance and commitment therapy integrated with psychoeducation intervention sessions (one session per week on each Sunday for eight consecutive weeks), each lasting approximately 45-60 minutes. The sessions were conducted by one researcher for each group, with six groups being accommodated per day. The sessions given for each researcher are two groups per day which take place from 10 am to 10:45 or 11 am and from 11:15 am to 12:00 or 12:15 pm. The program was implemented over a period of 8 weeks, completing the sessions within two months.
OTHERregular care
control group (N = 60): did not receive the acceptance and commitment therapy integrated with psychoeducation sessions during the study period.
Sponsors
Shereen
Menoufia University
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
CROSSOVER
Primary purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
FEMALE
Age
18 Years to 25 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* 18 and 25 years of age which is the range fit for college students, * had experience with disturbed eating attitudes, * able to communicate and participate.
Exclusion criteria
* had severe psychiatric comorbidity (psychosis, substance abuse) or * cognitive impairment. * not willing to participate in the study, * not willing to provide written consent
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale Score range: SCORE RANGE FROM 10 to 40 | 8 weeks | HIGHER score means higher self-esteem |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| The Body Appreciation Scale, scores range 10-50 | 8 weeks | high score mean higher or good body-image perception |
Countries
Egypt
Outcome results
None listed