Yoga 4 Body Image (Y4BI): Investigating the Impact of Yoga on Body Image and Eating Behaviours (Y4BI)

Yoga 4 Body Image (Y4BI): Investigating the Impact of Yoga on Body Image and Eating Behaviours in Young Women

The practice of yoga can positively impact body image, a psychological construct encompassing perceptual, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral aspects, which can be either positive or negative. Negative body image manifests as extreme dissatisfaction with one's body-a condition particularly common among young women-that places them at significant risk for developing Body Image Disorders (BIDs). In contrast, positive body image is characterized by an overall respect for one's body.

Current research on the impact of yoga on body image has several limitations, making it challenging to determine whether yoga practice truly has a positive effect on body image and to identify the mechanisms underlying this impact. To address these gaps, the present project aims to overcome the limitations of existing studies by investigating the impact of yoga on body image through quantitative methodologies and by exploring the mechanisms that drive this effect.

The project consists of two phases:

1. Investigating the impact of yoga on body image (both positive and negative) and eating behaviours in a population characterized by high levels of body dissatisfaction-young women.
2. Examining the psychological mechanisms underlying yoga's impact on body image, including increased interoceptive awareness, embodiment, and self-compassion, as well as a reduction in self-objectification.

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Body Image; Body Dissatisfaction; Eating Behaviors
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Y4BI; Other: ACTIVE

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

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Silvia Cerea, PhD; Phone Number: ++39 049 827 6683; Email: silvia.cerea@unipd.it

Study Locations

• Italy
  • Padova, Italy
    • Recruiting
    • Department of General Psychology, University of Padova
    • Contact: Silvia Cerea, PhD; Phone Number: ++39 049 827 6683; Email: silvia.cerea@unipd.it

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Females
• Age 18-35 years old

Exclusion Criteria:

• Regular yoga practice
• Pregnancy
• Medical conditions that preclude yoga practice (e.g., neurodegenerative diseases, recent injuries, rheumatic conditions)
• Full-blown body image disorder

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Prevention
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Y4BI; The yoga classes will be conducted once a week, in groups, with each session lasting 1 hour. They will be led by a qualified instructor with over 10 years of teaching experience in yoga.	Other: Y4BI; The yoga classes will follow the Iyengar method, one of the most widely practiced traditional yoga styles, aimed at promoting body alignment and precision in executing poses (asanas) through the use of props such as blankets, straps, cushions, chairs, and blocks, making the poses accessible to all individuals. The classes will be conducted once a week, in groups, with each session lasting 1 hour. They will be led by a qualified instructor with over 10 years of teaching experience in yoga. The classes will be adapted for beginners who do not practice yoga regularly.
Active Comparator: ACTIVE; The total body classes will take place once a week, with each session lasting one hour. They will be led by a kinesiology specialist in preventive and adapted physical activities.	Other: ACTIVE; The total body classes will take place once a week, with each session lasting one hour. They will be led by a kinesiology specialist in preventive and adapted physical activities.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Negative Body Image	Assessed with the Questionario sul Dismorfmismo Corporo (QDC; Cerea et al., 2017), a self-report questionnaire assessing negative body image made up of 40 items.	10 weeks
Body Appreciation	Assessed with the Body Appreciation Scale-2 (BAS-2; Tylka & Wood-Barcalow, 2015b, Casale et al., 2021), a self-report questionnaire assessing body appreciation made up of 10 items.	10 weeks
Functionality Appreciation	Assessed with the Functionality Appreciation Scale (FAS; Alleva, Tylka & Van Diest, 2017, Cerea et al., 2021), a self-report questionnaire assessing functionality appreciation made up of 7 items.	10 weeks
Dysfunctional Eating Behaviours and Risk of Developing Eating Disorders	Assessed with the Eating Disorder Risk Composite Score of the Eating Disorder Inventory-3 (EDI-3; Garner, 2004; Giannini, Pannocchia, Dalla Grave, Muratori & Viglione, 2008), a self-report questionnaire assessing the risk of developing eating disorders	10 weeks
Functional Eating Behaviors	Assessed with the Intuitive Eating Scale-2 (IES-2; Tylka & Kroon Van Diest, 2013, Swami et al., 2021), a self-report questionnaire assessing the ability to eat intuitively.	10 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Embodiment	Assessed with the Experience of Embodiment Scale (EES; Piran, Teall, & Counsell, 2020), a self-report questionnaire investigating embodiment.	10 weeks
Interoceptive Awareness	Assessed with the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness (MAIA; Mehling et al., 2012; Calì et al., 2015), a self-report questionnaire investigating interoceptive awareness	10 weeks
Self-compassion	Assessed with the Self-Compassion Scale (SCS, Neff, 2003; Veneziani et al. 2017), a self-report questionnaire investigating self-compassion	10 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Padova

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): November 30, 2024
• Primary Completion (Estimated): July 31, 2025
• Study Completion (Estimated): July 31, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: November 16, 2024
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 4, 2024
• First Posted (Actual): December 9, 2024

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): March 25, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 24, 2025
• Last Verified: November 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Other Study ID Numbers: 389

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