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Enhancing Efficacy of a Dissonance-Based Obesity and Eating Disorder Prevention Program: Experimental Therapeutics
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Enhancing Efficacy of a Dissonance-Based Obesity and Eating Disorder Prevention Program: Experimental Therapeutics

Eric Stice, Paul Rohde, Jeff M. Gau, Meghan L. Butryn, Heather Shaw, Kasie Cloud and Laura D'Adamo
Journal of consulting and clinical psychology, v 89(10), pp 793-804
01 Oct 2021
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/ccp0000682
PMID: 34807655
Featured in Collection :   UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
url
https://doi.org/10.1037/ccp0000682View
Accepted (AM)Open Access (Publisher-Specific),  Open

Abstract

Psychology Psychology, Clinical Social Sciences
Objective: Test the hypothesis that the efficacy of a dissonance-based obesity/eating disorder prevention program, Project Health, could be enhanced by implementing it in single-sex groups and adding food response inhibition and attention training. Method: Using a 2 x 2 factorial design, young adults (N = 261; M-age = 19.3, 79% female; 64% White) were randomized to (a) single-sex or (b) mixed-sex groups that completed food response inhibition and attention training or (c) single-sex or (d) mixed-sex groups that completed generic response inhibition and attention training with nonfood images. Preregistered primary outcomes (body fat, Body Mass Index [BMI]), eating disorder symptoms and other outcomes were assessed at pretest and posttest. Results: For one preregistered primary outcome, body fat loss, there was a significant interaction between the two manipulated factors (d = -.28), as well as significant main effects for sex composition of groups (d = -.18) and food response inhibition and attention training (d = -0.17), with the largest body fat loss occurring for single-sex groups implemented with food response inhibition and attention training. Although the two manipulated factors did not significantly affect the other outcomes (including BMI, the other preregistered primary outcome), there was a significant reduction in eating disorder symptoms across the conditions (within participant d = -.78), converging with prior evidence that Project Health produced larger reductions in symptoms than educational control participants. Conclusions: Results suggest that implementing Project Health in single-sex groups with food response inhibition and attention training produced the largest body fat loss effects, as well as significant reductions in eating disorder symptoms, suggesting that efforts to disseminate this prevention program are warranted. What is the public health significance of this article? The present study adds to the evidence base for Project Health as an obesity and eating disorder prevention intervention. Implementing in single-sex groups and adding computer-based food response inhibition and attention training improved body fat loss effects, but not eating disorder symptom reduction effects, though participants who completed Project Health in this trial showed clinically meaningful reductions in eating disorder symptoms.

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10 Record Views
15 citations in Web of Science
14 citations in Scopus

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UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

This publication has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:

#5 Gender Equality
#3 Good Health and Well-Being

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Collaboration types
Domestic collaboration
Web of Science research areas
Psychology, Clinical
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