Silberman, Lyndsi Erin. Implementing an evidence-based eating disorder intervention in a public school context: outcomes and implications. Retrieved from https://doi.org/doi:10.7282/T3HH6HH4
DescriptionThe purpose of the current research was to explore change in student outcomes after participating in an intervention addressing healthy lifestyle habits as well as body acceptance. This intervention program utilized cognitive dissonance strategies in order to promote body acceptance and reject the culturally sanctioned standards of beauty, namely the thin ideal. This study examined 18 adolescent females who attended a large public high school in central New Jersey. Students were given measures at pretest and posttest assessing thin ideal internalization, body dissatisfaction, self-esteem, perceptions regarding ability to achieve long-term goals, and experience of school problems. Independent paired T-tests were utilized to assess significant changes from pretest to posttest. Additionally, ANCOVA and Chi Square analyses were utilized to assess demographic variables that may have been associated with significant change. This study yielded a wide variety of results. Significant changes from pretest to posttest were detected for thin ideal internalization, body dissatisfaction, and experience of school problems. Both age and grade levels in school were associated with some of these detected changes. This study was exploratory in nature and more research with a larger population and further adaptations to implementation within a school context is needed. Results may encourage current school-based practitioners to implement evidence-based intervention programs in a way that fits their school’s needs, while producing positive changes for students.