Interventions for preventing eating disorders in adolescents: A scoping review

Eating disorders (EDs) are serious and prevalent diagnoses during adolescence. Therefore, prevention efforts are strongly recommended. However, there is a gap in the literature regarding a comprehensive understanding of preventive strategies for EDs in adolescents, particularly concerning different contexts and methodological approaches.

This study aimed to map and describe preventive interventions, considering various contexts, modalities, and components.

A scoping review was conducted following the JBI and PRISMA-ScR guidelines. Primary studies on psychosocial interventions for ED prevention in non-clinical adolescent samples, published between 2013 and 2025 in Portuguese, English, or Spanish, were included. Searches were conducted in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, PsycINFO, LILACS, and CINAHL. Publications underwent screening, selection, and data extraction followed by synthesis.

Twenty-one studies were included, most with exploratory designs. The interventions were predominantly group-based, in-person, and grounded in cognitive dissonance theory, with a mean participant age of 14.39 years (SD = 1.42 years). The main strategies were psychoeducation, group discussion, and practical activities. The main topics were critiques of appearance ideals, media literacy, body image, self-esteem, physical activity, and healthy nutrition.

Preventive psychosocial interventions for EDs among adolescents are expanding, with a trend towards adapting evidence-based programmes to diverse contexts, countries, cultures, age groups, and specific populations.