Effectiveness of a peer-delivered dissonance-based program in reducing eating disorder risk factors in high school girls

• Published in: The International journal of eating disorders Vol. 48; no. 6; pp. 779 - 784
• Main Authors: Ciao, Anna C., Latner, Janet D., Brown, Krista E., Ebneter, Daria S., Becker, Carolyn B.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.09.2015; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Adolescent; Body Image; Case-Control Studies; Cognitive Dissonance; Eating disorders; Effectiveness; Feasibility Studies; Feeding and Eating Disorders - prevention & control; Female; Girls; high school; Humans; Patient Compliance; Peer Group; peer-leaders; Peers; Pilot Projects; Psychotherapy - methods; risk factor reduction; Risk Factors; School Health Services; Secondary school students; high school; cognitive dissonance; eating disorders; peer-leaders; risk factor reduction
• ISSN: 0276-3478; 1098-108X; 1098-108X
• DOI: 10.1002/eat.22418

ABSTRACT Objective This pilot study investigated the feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness of a peer‐led dissonance‐based eating disorders (ED) prevention/risk factor reduction program with high school girls. Method Ninth grade girls (n = 50) received the peer‐led program within the school curriculum. A quasi‐experimental design was used to assess changes in ED risk factors preintervention and postintervention compared with waitlist control. Participants were followed through 3‐month follow‐up. Results Peer‐leader adherence to an intervention manual tailored for this age group was high. The intervention was rated as highly acceptable, with a large proportion of participants reporting that they enjoyed the program and learned and applied new information. Intervention participants exhibited significantly greater pre‐post reductions in a majority of risk‐factor outcomes compared to waitlist controls. When groups were combined to assess program effects over time there were significant pre‐post reductions in a majority of outcomes that were sustained through 3‐month follow‐up. Discussion This pilot study provides tentative support for the effectiveness of using peer leaders to implement an empirically supported ED risk factor reduction program in a high school setting. Additional research is needed to replicate results in larger, better‐controlled trials with longer follow‐up. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. (Int J Eat Disord 2015; 48:779–784)