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Updated: May 7, 2026
A Computer-Based Platform for Aiding Clinicians in Eating Disorder Analysis and Diagnosis
Published on: May 10, 2022
Feasibility, acceptability and efficacy of a school-based prevention programme for eating disorders: cluster
Helen Sharpe1, Ilka Schober, Janet Treasure
1Helen Sharpe, PhD, Ilka Schober, Dipl-Psych, Janet Treasure, MD, PhD, FRCP, FRCPsych, Ulrike Schmidt, MD, PhD, FRCPsych, Section of Eating Disorders, Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, UK.
Background:
Body image dissatisfaction during adolescence is common but not benign. School-based interventions have the potential for wide reach, but scalability of previous programmes is limited by a reliance on external facilitators.
Aims:
To assess the acceptability, feasibility and efficacy of a teacher-delivered body image intervention.
Method:
A pilot clustered randomised controlled trial in which 16 classes of adolescent girls were allocated to a 6-session body image programme (n = 261), or usual curriculum control (n = 187) (registration: ISRCTN42594993).
Results:
Students in the intervention group had significantly improved body esteem and self-esteem and reduced thin-ideal internalisation. Effects for body esteem and thin-ideal internalisation were maintained for 3 months. There were no group differences for eating pathology, peer factors or depression. Acceptability, feasibility and efficacy varied between schools.
Conclusions:
Teacher-delivered body image lessons have promise but further work is needed to increase efficacy and make interventions suitable across a range of schools.
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