Disordered eating prevention programme in schools: A 30-month follow-up

Objective: The present study aims to evaluate the long-term effects of a school-based prevention programme administered to adolescents; the purpose of the said programme was to reduce disordered eating attitudes and sociocultural influences on the internalisation of the aesthetical body ideal. Methods: A total of 254 girls and 189 boys were assigned to a control (n = 201) or to two experimental conditions: media literacy programme (n = 143) and media literacy plus nutrition awareness programme (n = 99). Pretest, post-test (1 month later) and 7-month and 30-month follow-up measurements were taken using the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-40) and the questionnaire on influences of aesthetic body ideal-26/cuestionario de influencias del modelo estético corporal (CIMEC-26). Linear mixed-model analyses were conducted with a 2 x 3 x 3 ANOVA (sex x group x phase), adjusted by the baseline level. Results: The participants from both prevention programmes scored lower than the participants in the control group at follow-up assessments on EAT-40 and CIMEC-26 scores. Discussion: Both media literacy-based programmes can be effective interventions reducing long-term self-reported disordered eating attitudes and internalisation of the aesthetic body ideal in a universal mixed-sex school-going adolescent population. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association.