Sociocultural factors and eating disorders in adolescence: evaluation of a school-based prevention program

INTERVENTION: The participants who are randomised to the intervention group will receive the prevention program. Trained teachers will carry out 9 sessions of regular classes, 1 ‐ 2 sessions a week, 45 minutes each. During the classes they will teach the participants about nutrition and well‐being, media competency, self‐esteem, problem solving, stress management, and dealing with appearance‐related social pressure. Materials and methods include DVDs, games, discussions, quizzes, leaflets, questionnaires, homework and teamwork. The participants allocated to the control group do not receive any intervention. They will receive the same training on the program after the evaluation of the program based on this trial is completed. CONDITION: Eating disorders ; Mental and Behavioural Disorders ; Eating disorders PRIMARY OUTCOME: Symptoms of eating disorders, measured at 3 and 12 months after completion of the program using the following:; 1. Eating Attitudes Test (EAT); 2. Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI); 3. Eating Disorder Examination (EDE) SECONDARY OUTCOME: Current secondary outcome measures as of 16/10/2008: ; Risk and protective factors assessed at 3 and 12 months after completion of the programme using the following: ; 1. Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire (SATAQ) ; 2. Appearance Schema Inventory (ASI) ; 3. Coping ; 4. Body dissatisfaction, assessed by the Contour Drawing Rating Scale (CDRS) and the Eating Disorder Inventory ‐ Body Dissatisfaction (EDI‐BD); 5. Appearance related social pressure questionnaire (Fragebogen zum aussehensbezogenen sozialen; Druck [FASD]); ; Please note that the changes are due to errors in the information submitted at time of registration.; ; Secondary outcome measures provided at time of registration:; Risk and protective factors assessed at 3 and 12 months after completion of the programme using the following:; 1. Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire (SATAQ); 2. Appearance Schema Inventory (ASI); 3. Coping; 4. Body dissatisfaction INCLUSION CRITERIA: Adolescents Grade 7 ‐ 9 (12 ‐ 16 years).