Impact of School-Based Eating Disorder Prevention Programs on Adolescent Mental Health
Author Information
Author(s): Wong Rosa S., Chan Bianca N. K., Lai Sok Ian, Tung Keith T. S.
Primary Institution: The Education University of Hong Kong
Hypothesis
Can school-based programs that reduce risk factors for eating disorders improve adolescent mental health?
Conclusion
School-based eating disorder prevention programs that focus on body acceptance can effectively improve adolescent mental health.
Supporting Evidence
- Ten out of 17 eating disorder prevention programs were effective in improving adolescent mental health.
- Programs focusing on body acceptance consistently resulted in reduced negative emotions.
- Most effective programs were delivered by non-licensed facilitators supervised by healthcare professionals.
Takeaway
This study shows that programs in schools can help kids feel better about themselves and reduce negative feelings about their bodies.
Methodology
A systematic review of 14 studies evaluating school-based eating disorder prevention programs.
Potential Biases
Some studies lacked information on blinding and did not ascertain eating disorder diagnoses, which could affect bias estimation.
Limitations
The review had limited studies, variability among them, and most interventions were conducted in Western countries, which may not apply to non-Western populations.
Participant Demographics
Participants were adolescents aged 10-19, with a mix of genders across various studies.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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