More Than Body Appearance (MBA) Intervention (MBA)

More Than Body Appearance (MBA) Intervention: Investigation of the Efficacy of a Psychological Online Intervention to Improve Body Image

The promotion of a positive body image is crucial to increase the efficacy of psychological interventions targeting body image. Recent studies indicated that positive body image also acts as a protective factor against the onset of ED symptoms. However, in the last decades, research has predominantly focused on reducing body dissatisfaction, with most available psychological interventions for body image adopting a disease reduction perspective while neglecting positive aspects of psychological functioning. This approach has shown limited efficacy in improving body image. Consequently, it is crucial to develop new psychological interventions including both perspectives (i.e., disease reduction and health promotion perspectives) to improve body image and to test their efficacy in different contexts and populations.

The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of a 2-week online psychological intervention (More than Body Appearance; MBA) designed to improve body image in young women at both high and low risk of developing Body Image Disorders and in female athletes practicing aesthetic sports.

Study Overview

• Status: Active, not recruiting
• Conditions: Body Image
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: More than Body Appearance (MBA) Intervention

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 100
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Italy
  • PD
    • Padua, PD, Italy, 35131
      • University of Padua

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age 18 or above

Exclusion Criteria:

• Presence of a full-blown Body Image Disorder (BID);
• Current treatment for a BID.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Prevention
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Experimental Group; Participants in the Experimental group start the MBA intervention immediately (Time 0; T0).	Other: More than Body Appearance (MBA) Intervention; The MBA is an online psychological intervention designed to improve body image. The intervention lasts 15 days, and it comprises two types of activity (1st and 2nd week). During the first week of the MBA intervention, participants sill read three blocks of psychoeducational material including information about: 1) body image; 2) positive body image and healthy lifestyles; and 3) body functionality. During the second week participants produce 3 structured writing assessment pertaining to body functionality and why it is important. Each assignment focused on two areas of body functionality: 1) body's senses and physical capacities; 2) health and creative skills; 3) self-care/daily routine and communication with others. For each writing assignment, participants were asked to reflect, describe, and specify why these aspects of body functionality were personally important and meaningful to them.
Active Comparator: Waiting-list group; Participants in the waiting-list group start the MBA intervention at Time 1 (T1; 15 days after the Experimental group).	Other: More than Body Appearance (MBA) Intervention; The MBA is an online psychological intervention designed to improve body image. The intervention lasts 15 days, and it comprises two types of activity (1st and 2nd week). During the first week of the MBA intervention, participants sill read three blocks of psychoeducational material including information about: 1) body image; 2) positive body image and healthy lifestyles; and 3) body functionality. During the second week participants produce 3 structured writing assessment pertaining to body functionality and why it is important. Each assignment focused on two areas of body functionality: 1) body's senses and physical capacities; 2) health and creative skills; 3) self-care/daily routine and communication with others. For each writing assignment, participants were asked to reflect, describe, and specify why these aspects of body functionality were personally important and meaningful to them.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Body appreciation	Improvements in body appreciation assessed by means of a self-report questionnaire: Body Appreciation Scale-2 (BAS-2; Minimum value: 10; Maximum value: 50; higher scores represent higher body appreciation)	2 weeks
Body dysmorphic disorder symptoms	Reductions in body dysmorphic disorder symptoms assessed by means of a self-report questionnaire: Questionario sul Dismorfismo Corporeo (QDC; Minimum value: 40; Maximum value: 280; higher scores represent higher body dysmorphic disorder symptoms)	2 weeks
Functionality appreciation	Improvements in functionality appreciation assessed by means of a self-report questionnaire: Functional Appreciation Scale (FAS; Minimum value: 7; Maximum value: 35; higher scores represent higher body functionality)	2 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Risk of developing eating disorders	Reductions of the risk of developing eating disorders assessed by means of a self-report questionnaire: Eating Disorder Inventory-3 (EDI-3; Minimum value: 25; Maximum value: 150; higher scores represent higher risk)	2 weeks
Intuitive eating	Improvements in intuitive eating assessed by means of a self-report questionnaire: Intuitive Eating Sale-2 (IES-2; Minimum value: 23; Maximum value: 115; higher scores represent higher intuitive eating practices)	2 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Padova
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Silvia Cerea, PhD, Department of General Psychology, University of Padova

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): November 16, 2020
• Primary Completion (Actual): December 30, 2022
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 31, 2025

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: December 15, 2020
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 15, 2020
• First Posted (Actual): December 21, 2020

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): March 28, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 24, 2025
• Last Verified: September 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Other Study ID Numbers: 3811

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No
• product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.: No