A Pilot Study of "Help for Overcoming Problem Eating" (HOPE): A Single Session Intervention for College Students With...

Eating disorders (EDs) are common among university students, yet most students with EDs do not have access to ED-related care on their campuses.

The goal of this study was to test the initial acceptability and feasibility of Help for Overcoming Problem Eating (HOPE), the first digital single-session intervention designed to reduce binge eating for college students with non-low-weight binge-spectrum EDs.

Seventy-five university students with non-low-weight binge-spectrum EDs completed HOPE and answered questions about the acceptability and user perceptions of the program following completion. They also completed baseline, 1-week, and 4-week follow-up questionnaires assessing ED symptoms.

Of the eligible participants (N = 190), 70.52% (n = 134) consented to the study, 42.63% (n = 81) started HOPE, and 39.47% (n = 75) completed HOPE. Descriptive statistics showed that HOPE was highly acceptable, with a scaled mean overall acceptability score of 4.35 out of 5. Paired Sample t-tests showed that there were significant reductions in binge eating (p < 0.001, 1-week d = 0.86, 4-week d = 0.98), restricting (p < 0.001, 1-week d = 0.52, 4-week d = 0.41), and cognitive restraint (p < 0.001, 1-week d = 0.63, 4-week d = 0.87) following HOPE completion.

Results demonstrated the acceptability and preliminary efficacy of HOPE for those who completed the intervention. Further testing in a randomized controlled trial design is warranted. Although the current findings provided promising pilot feasibility data, additional research is needed to identify reasons for attrition/nonparticipation to reduce barriers for study completion.