Disordered eating prevention programme in schools: a 30-month follow-up

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Public Health
• Media Studies

Background:

• Disordered eating attitudes and the internalization of the aesthetic body ideal are significant concerns among adolescents.
• Sociocultural influences, particularly from media, play a crucial role in shaping these attitudes.
• Early intervention programmes in schools are vital for addressing these issues.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the long-term efficacy of school-based prevention programmes on disordered eating attitudes.
• To assess the impact of these programmes on reducing sociocultural influences and the internalization of the aesthetic body ideal in adolescents.
• To compare the effectiveness of a media literacy programme versus a combined media literacy and nutrition awareness programme.

Main Methods:

• A total of 443 adolescents (254 girls, 189 boys) were assigned to a control group or two experimental conditions: media literacy programme or media literacy plus nutrition awareness programme.
• Measurements of disordered eating attitudes (Eating Attitudes Test, EAT-40) and aesthetic body ideal internalization (CIMEC-26) were taken at pretest, post-test (1 month), and follow-ups (7 and 30 months).
• Linear mixed-model analyses using a 2x3x3 ANOVA (sex x group x phase) were conducted, adjusted for baseline levels.

Main Results:

• Participants in both prevention programmes demonstrated significantly lower scores on the EAT-40 and CIMEC-26 compared to the control group at all follow-up assessments.
• These positive effects were sustained up to the 30-month follow-up, indicating long-term impact.
• No significant differences were found between the two intervention groups, suggesting both approaches were effective.

Conclusions:

• Media literacy-based programmes are effective interventions for reducing long-term self-reported disordered eating attitudes in adolescents.
• These programmes also effectively reduce the internalization of the aesthetic body ideal within a universal, mixed-sex school population.
• School-based interventions integrating media literacy offer a promising strategy for promoting healthier body image and eating attitudes in young people.