The purpose of this clinical trial is to enhance research opportunities in the biomedical and behavioral sciences among undergraduate students at Cornell College (Aim 1) while simultaneously providing an empirical test of an expanded dissonance-based eating disorder prevention and treatment program (Aim 2). Consistent with the specified objectives of the Academic Enhancement Research Award, this project will significantly increase research opportunities for Cornell College students bound for graduate studies in the biomedical and behavioral sciences, providing them with the expertise and experience needed to develop skills as proficient research scientists. Consistent with the specified aims of the National Institute of Mental Health, this project will foster an innovative approach to improving physical and behavioral health outcomes for eating disorder populations. The proposed trial will compare the efficacy of an expanded dissonance-based program, altered to more explicitly address maladaptive social comparison and self-objectification ? two notable eating disorder risk factors, to the efficacy of the Body Project ? the traditional, gold standard in eating disorder prevention. Efficacy of the two programs will be compared to an educational brochure condition in a community sample of women; efficacy will be evaluated among both clinical and subclinical groups to evaluate treatment and prevention applications. Specifically, n=30 women with clinical eating disorder symptoms and n=30 women with subclinical eating disorder symptoms will be randomly assigned to each condition (n=60 per condition; N=180 total). Eating disorder symptoms, body dissatisfaction, state anxiety, thin-ideal internalization, maladaptive social comparison, self-objectification, and cardiac risk factors including mean R wave amplitude, QT interval length, sympathetic tone (LF/HF spectral power ratio), and vagal tone (HF power) will be evaluated at baseline, postintervention, and 2-month follow-up. We predict a statistically significant 3 (group: enhanced dissonance, traditional dissonance, educational brochure control) x 3 (time: baseline, postintervention, 2-month follow- up) interaction in mixed factorial MANCOVA results (covariate: whether nor not seeking external treatment during the trial). Specifically, we predict participants in both dissonance conditions will show significantly lower eating disorder symptoms and associated psychological and cardiac risk factors compared to participants in the educational brochure control condition at postintervention and 2-month follow-up. We predict these effects will be greater in the enhanced dissonance condition compared to the traditional Body Project condition, indicating increased program efficacy in the expanded program. We will conduct a 3 (group) x 3 (time) x 2 (diagnostic level: clinical, subclinical) mixed factorial MANCOVA to examine whether program efficacy varies as a function of diagnostic level. Based on preliminary findings, we do not hypothesize a significant 3-way interaction; we predict the program will be similarly efficacious for both clinical and subclinical populations, demonstrating its potential application in both the treatment and the indicated prevention realms. If demonstrated, trial outcomes will improve existing eating disorder prevention and treatment paradigms via the incorporation of program content which more explicitly addresses maladaptive social comparison and self-objectification. Results will also provide additional support for extending dissonance-based paradigms into the treatment realm and will establish a prevention and treatment paradigm which decreases cardiac risks, one of the leading health risks for eating disorder patients. The opportunity to administer the proposed trial will significantly strengthen research training in the biomedical and behavioral sciences for undergraduate students at Cornell College.
The purpose of this project is to improve indicated prevention and treatment outcomes for eating disorder patients by evaluating whether an expanded dissonance-based program is more effective than traditional prevention methods, demonstrating the efficacy of the program in the treatment realm, and examining whether the program successfully reduces disorder-related cardiac risks in eating disorder patients.
