Body image surveys to address social appearance anxiety in women at risk of eating psychopathology: an acceptability, feasibility and preliminary efficacy study, using a wait‐list randomized controlled design

Objective

The study investigated the feasibility, acceptability and preliminary efficacy of a body image survey intervention for women at risk of eating psychopathology.

Method

A randomized wait-list control design was used. The preregistered study (https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/ZQPEU) had ethical clearance and met recruitment targets. Female participants (aged 18–48 years) with high levels of social appearance anxiety (i.e., deemed at risk of eating pathology) were recruited via advertisement. Thirty-one participants completed the intervention, with 15 participants randomly allocated to the immediate treatment condition and 16 to the wait-list condition. The intervention consisted of two thirty-minute sessions over a week. Self-report measures were administered every week for 3 weeks and then at the follow-up 4 weeks later. Acceptability was defined as over 75% of participants completing the study and an average score above 5 on a 7-point Likert scale assessing acceptability. Feasibility was defined as over 60 participants expressing interest in the study, over 75% of participants consenting to intervention, and over 30 participants recruited for the intervention.

Results

The wait-list control design met all criteria for feasibility and acceptability. Preliminary outcomes (completer and intention-to-treat analyses) suggest body image surveys are effective at reducing social appearance anxiety (d = 1.79). While eating psychopathology and body image distress reduced over time, no significant interactions with group were found.

Discussion

While a full trial is needed to add to this evidence, body image surveys appear to be an acceptable and beneficial treatment for people with high levels of social appearance anxiety.