Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

A pilot study of the clinical and statistical significance of a program to reduce eating disorder risk factors in children

  • Original Research Paper
  • Published:
Eating and Weight Disorders - Studies on Anorexia, Bulimia and Obesity Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The current study used clinical and statistical significance tests to investigate the effects of two forms (didactic or interactive) of a universal prevention program on attitudes about shape and weight, eating behaviors, the influence of body aesthetic models, and self-esteem. Three schools were randomly assigned to one, interactive, didactic, or a control condition. Children (61 girls and 59 boys, age 9-11 years) were evaluated at pre-intervention, post-intervention, and at 6-month follow-up. Programs comprised eight, 90-min sessions. Statistical and clinical significance tests showed more changes in boys and girls with the interactive program versus the didactic intervention and control groups. The findings support the use of interactive programs that highlight identified risk factors and construction of identity based on positive traits distinct to physical appearance.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
$34.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or eBook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Striegel-Moore R., Steiner-Adair C.: Prevención primaria de los trastornos alimentarios: nuevas consideraciones con una perspectiva feminista. In: Vandereycken W., Noordenbos G. (Eds.), La Prevención de los Trastornos Alimentarios. Espaã, Granica, 2000, pp. 13–37.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Noordenbos G.: Los trastornos alimentarios en la atención primaria de la salud: la identificación e intervención temprana de parte de los médicos clínicos. In: Vandereycken W., Noordenbos G. (Eds.), La Prevención de los Trastornos Alimentarios. Espaã, Granica, 2000, pp. 261–277.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Fairburn G., Welch L., Doll A., Davies A., O’Connor E.: Risk factors for bulimia nervosa. A communitybased case-control study. Arch. Gen. Psychiatry, 54, 509–517, 1997.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Levine M., Smolak L.: Los medios de comunicación y los disturbios de la alimentación: Consecuencias en la prevención primaria. In: Vandereycken W., Noordenbos G. (Eds.), La Prevención de los Trastornos Alimentarios. Espaã, Granica, 2000, pp. 39–80.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Vázquez R., López X., Álvarez G., Mancilla J., Ruiz A.: Insatisfacción corporal e influencia de los modelos estéticos en niõs y jóvenes varones mexicanos. Enseãnza e Investigación en Psicología, 11, 185–197, 2006.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Gómez-Peresmitré G.: Preadolescentes mexicanas y la cultura de la delgadez. Revista Mexicana de Psicología, 16, 153–165, 1999.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Austin B.: Prevention research in eating disorders: Theory and new directions. Psychol. Med., 30, 1249–1262, 2000.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th ed. Revised (DSM-IV-TR). Washington, D.C., APA, 2000.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Hoek H.W., Bartelds A.I., Bosveld J.J., van der Graaf Y., Limpels V.E., Maiwald M., Spaaij C.J.: Impact of urbanization on detection rates of eating disorder. Am. J. Psychiatry, 152, 1272–1278, 1995.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Smolak L., Levine M.P.: A two-year follow-up of a primary prevention program for negative body image and unhealthy weight regulation. Eat. Disord., 9, 313–325, 2001.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Smolak L., Levine M.P., Schermer F.A.: A controlled evaluation of an elementary school primary prevention program for eating problems. J. Psychosom. Res., 44, 339–353, 1998.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Smolak L., Levine M.P., Schermer F.A.: Lo que nos ense~ó la enseãnza: evaluación de un programa preventivo para las escuelas primarias. In: Vandereycken W., Noordenbos G. (Eds.), La Prevención de los Trastornos Alimentarios. Espaã, Granica, 2000, pp. 173–213.

    Google Scholar 

  13. Stice E., Shaw H.: Eating disorder prevention programs: A metaanalytic review. Psychol. Bull., 130, 206–227, 2004.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Jacobson S., Truax P.: Clinical significance: A statistical approach to defining meaningful change in psychotherapy research. J. Consult. Clin. Psychol., 59, 12–19, 1991.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Kendall P., Marrs-García A., Nath S., Sheldrick C.: Normative comparisons for the evaluation of clinical significance. J. Consult. Clin. Psychol., 67, 285–299, 1999.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Kazdin A.: The meanings and measurement of clinical significance. J. Consult. Clin. Psychol., 67, 332–339, 1999.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Escoto M.C., Mancilla J.M.: Prevención de Trastornos del Comportamiento Alimentario en Adolescentes. In: Ríos M.R. (ed.). Manual de Intervención Psicológica para Adolescentes: ámbito de la Salud y Educativo. Colombia. Psicom Editores, 2007.

    Google Scholar 

  18. Levine M.P., Smolak L.: (Eds.). The prevention of eating problems and eating disorders: Theory, research, and practice. Mahwah, NJ, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2006.

    Google Scholar 

  19. Maloney M., McGuire B., Daniels R.: Reliability testing of the children’s version of the Eating Attitudes Test. J. Am. Acad. Child. Adolesc. Psychiatry, 27, 541–543, 1988.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Smolak L., Levine M.: Psychometric properties of the Children’s Eating Attitudes Test. Int. J. Eat. Disord., 16, 285–282, 1994.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Escoto M.C., Camacho E.J.: Psychometric properties of the Children’s Eating Attitudes Test in a Mexican sample. Revista Mexicana de Psicología, 25, 99–106, 2008.

    Google Scholar 

  22. Cooper J., Taylor J., Cooper Z., Fairburn G.: The development and validation of the body shape questionnaire. Int. J. Eat. Disord., 6, 485–494, 1987.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Raich R., Mora M., Soler A., Avila C., Clos I., Zapater L.: Adaptación de un instrumento de evaluación de la insatisfacción corporal. Clínica y Salud, 7, 51–66, 1996.

    Google Scholar 

  24. Beato-Fernández L., Rodríguez-Cano T., Belmonte-Llario A., Martínez-Delgado C.: Risk factors for eating disorders in adolescents. Eur. Child Adolesc. Psychiatry, 13, 287–294, 2004.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Galán J.: Validación en población mexicana del Body Shape Questionnaire. Tesis de Licenciatura, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 2004.

    Google Scholar 

  26. Espina A., Asunción O.M., Ochoa A.I., Aleman A., Juaniz M.: Body shape and eating disorders in a sample of students in the Basque country: A pilot study. Psychol. Spain, 6, 3–11, 2002.

    Google Scholar 

  27. Smith C., Thelen H.: Development and validation of a test for bulimia. J. Consult. Clin. Psychol., 52, 863–872, 1984.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Álvarez G., Mancilla-Díaz J., Vázquez R.: Propiedades psicométricas del Test de Bulimia (BULIT). Psicología Contemporánea, 7, 74–85, 2000.

    Google Scholar 

  29. Toro J., Salamero M., Martínez E.: Assessment of sociocultural influences on the aesthetic body shape model in anorexia nervosa. Acta Psychiatr. Scand., 89, 147–151, 1994.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Toro J., Gomez-Peresmitré G., Sentis J., Vallés A., Casulá V., Castro J., Pineda G., Leon R., Platas S., Rodriguez R.: Eating disorders and body image in Spanish and Mexican female adolescents. Soc. Psychiatry Psychiatr. Epidemiol., 41, 556–565, 2006.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Pope W., McHayle M., Craighead E.: Self-esteem enhancement with children and adolescents. USA, Allyn and Bacon (eds.), 1988.

  32. Caso J.: Validación de un instrumento de autoestima para niõs y adolescentes. Tesis de Maestría, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 1999.

    Google Scholar 

  33. Faul F., Erdfelder E., Lang A.G., Buchner A.: G*Power 3: A flexible statistical power analysis program for the social, behavioral, and biomedical sciences. Behav. Res. Methods, 39, 175–191, 2007.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Matusek A., Wendt J., Wiseman V.: Dissonance thinideal and didactic healthy behavior eating disorder prevention programs: Results from a controlled trial. Int. J. Eat. Disord., 36, 376–388, 2004.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  35. Stice E., Chase A., Stormer S., Appel A.: A randomized trial of a dissonance-based eating prevention program. Int. J. Eat. Disord., 29, 247–262, 2001.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Stice E., Ragan J.: A preliminary controlled evaluation of an eating disturbances psychoeducational intervention for college students. Int. J. Eat. Disord., 31, 159–171, 2002.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  37. Álvarez G.: Modelos de factores predictores de trastornos del comportamiento alimentario en tres muestras de mujeres mexicanas. Tesis de Doctorado, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 2006.

    Google Scholar 

  38. Mann T., Nolen-Hoeksema S., Huang K., Wright A., Hanson K., Burgard D.: Are two interventions worse than none? Joint primary and secondary prevention of eating disorders in college females. Health Psychol., 16, 215–225, 1997.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centro Universitario UAEM Ecatepec, José Revueltas #17, Tierra Blanca, Ecatepec de Morelos, Estado de México, México, CP. 55020

    M. C. Escoto Ponce de León

  2. Jefe del Proyecto de Investigación en Nutrición, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Los Reyes Iztacala, Tlalnepantla, México

    J. M. Mancilla Díaz

  3. Unidad Académica Profesional Nezahualcóyotl. Colonia Benito Juárez, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Nezahualcóyotl, Estado de México, México

    E. J. Camacho Ruiz

Authors
  1. M. C. Escoto Ponce de León
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. J. M. Mancilla Díaz
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. E. J. Camacho Ruiz
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to M. C. Escoto Ponce de León.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

de León, M.C.E.P., Díaz, J.M.M. & Ruiz, E.J.C. A pilot study of the clinical and statistical significance of a program to reduce eating disorder risk factors in children. Eat Weight Disord 13, 111–118 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03327611

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03327611

Key words

Search

Navigation