Expand Your Horizon: An Online Writing Intervention for Women

The purpose of this research study is to test a new writing-based intervention that helps young adult women increase their body acceptance and fosters creativity.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Body Image
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: body acceptance program; Behavioral: writing creatively program

Detailed Description

In this study, participants will be asked to do the following things:

1. Complete 3 writing exercises over the course of week. Each writing exercise will take approximately 15 minutes to complete
2. ~1-hour long online surveys immediately after the program (1 week), and 1 week after the program. Questions will ask about eating behaviors and attitudes, body image, feelings of weight stigma, and mental health.
3. Be contacted through email to remind participants to complete the writing assignments/survey

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 163
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Virginia
    • Richmond, Virginia, United States, 23298
      • Virginia Commonwealth University

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 25 years (ADULT)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: Female

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• women ages 18 to 25 years
• enrolled in postsecondary education at VCU
• endorse some degree of WBI (as measured by the WBI-M) or body image concerns

Exclusion Criteria:

• men
• pregnant women

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: TREATMENT
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Interventional Model: PARALLEL
• Masking: NONE

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
EXPERIMENTAL: body acceptance program	Behavioral: body acceptance program; Complete 3 writing exercises over the course of week. Each writing exercise will take approximately 15 minutes to complete
ACTIVE_COMPARATOR: writing creativity program	Behavioral: writing creatively program; Complete 3 writing exercises over the course of week. Each writing exercise will take approximately 15 minutes to complete

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in weight bias internalization (WBI)	The Modified Weight Bias Internalization Scale (WBIS-M) is a modified version of the Weight Bias Internalization Scale that was adapted for use with individuals across the weight spectrum. The WBIS-M measures the degree to which individuals apply weight-based stereotypes to themselves and use those to guide their weight self-evaluations. Items are rated on a 7-point scale, with higher scores reflecting greater degrees of weight bias internalization.	baseline to 2 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in body functionality appreciation	Body functionality appreciation will be assessed using the Functionality Appreciation Scale (FAS). The Functionality Appreciation Scale (FAS) is a 7-item scale that measures appreciation for the functionality of one's body, which is believed to help offset appearance concerns. Items are rated on a 5-point scale with higher scores reflecting greater appreciation for the functionality of one's body.	baseline to 2 weeks
Change in body image dissatisfaction	Body dissatisfaction will be measured using Body-Image Ideals Questionnaire (BIQ. The BIQ is a 22-item measure that assesses appearance satisfaction. This scale examines both perceived discrepancy between one's body image ideal and current appearance as well as the importance of appearance to one's self-concept.	Baseline to 2 weeks
Change in objectified body consciousness	Objectified body consciousness will be assessed using the Body Consciousness Scale (OBCS). This is a 24-item measure that assesses the degree to which one experiences their body as an object.	Baseline to 2 weeks
Change in self-compassion	Self-Compassion will be assessed using the Self-Compassion Scale-Short Form (SCS-SF). This is a 12-item measure that assesses the degree to which one is able to hold her or his own feelings of suffering with a sense of warmth, connection, and concern	Baseline to 2 weeks
Change in depression	Depression will be assessed using the depression subscale of the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scales (DASS-21). This measure asks participants to rate the frequency and severity of negative emotions over the previous week. Items are rated on a four-point scale (0 = did not apply to me at all, 3 = applied to me very much or most of the time).	Baseline to 2 weeks
Change in anxiety	Anxiety will be assessed using the anxiety subscale of the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scales (DASS-21). This measure asks participants to rate the frequency and severity of negative emotions over the previous week. Items are rated on a four-point scale (0 = did not apply to me at all, 3 = applied to me very much or most of the time).	Baseline to 2 weeks
Change in stress	Stress will be assessed using the stress subscale of the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scales (DASS-21). This measure asks participants to rate the frequency and severity of negative emotions over the previous week. Items are rated on a four-point scale (0 = did not apply to me at all, 3 = applied to me very much or most of the time).	Baseline to 2 weeks
Change in healthcare stress	Healthcare Stress will be assessed using a scale created by weight stigma researchers. This is a five-item scale that was originally adapted for a study on healthcare anxiety in higher weight women. Participants use a 10-point scale (1 = No stress, 10 = Very stressed) to indicate their level of stress when thinking about numerous healthcare encounters.	Baseline to 2 weeks
Change in healthcare avoidance	Healthcare Avoidance will be assessed by a four-item scale that measures how often someone avoids healthcare. The measure was adapted for the current study such that we deleted an item about mammograms because it is not relevant to this age group. Also, given the short follow-up period, we assumed that participants' healthcare utilization would not change over the course of the study. Thus, we also modified the rating scale to reflect intent to avoid healthcare. Participants will use a five-point scale (1 = Extremely Likely, 5 = Extremely Unlikely) to indicate their likelihood to utilize numerous healthcare encounters.	Baseline to 2 weeks
Change in physical activity acceptance	Physical activity acceptance will be assessed using the Physical Activity Acceptance Questionnaire (PAAQ). The PAAQ is a 10-item measure that assesses participants' ability to accept the discomfort associated with exercising.	Baseline to 2 weeks
Change in global eating disorder symptoms	Disordered eating will be assessed using the Eating Disorder Examination - Questionnaire (EDE-Q). The EDE-Q is a 28-item self-report version of the Eating Disorder Examination that measures frequency of disordered eating cognitions and behaviors experienced in the previous 28 days. Participants rate the number of days behaviors have occurred in the last 28 days, with 0 = no days and 6 = every day. Yes/no questions identify the presence of compensatory and binge behaviors and participants indicate the frequency of these behaviors over the last 28 days. Higher EDE-Q scores indicate greater eating pathology.	Baseline to 2 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Virginia Commonwealth University
• Collaborators: Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (ACTUAL): February 21, 2020
• Primary Completion (ACTUAL): February 25, 2021
• Study Completion (ACTUAL): February 25, 2021

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: October 29, 2019
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: October 29, 2019
• First Posted (ACTUAL): October 31, 2019

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (ACTUAL): March 2, 2021
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 1, 2021
• Last Verified: March 1, 2021

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Other Study ID Numbers: HM20016491

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO
• IPD Plan Description: Individual level data will not be shared other researchers. Access to all data will be limited to study personnel.

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No