An uncontrolled pilot feasibility trial of an intuitive eating intervention for college women with disordered eating delivered through group and guided self-help modalities.

OBJECTIVE

College women engage in high rates of disordered eating behaviors (DEBs), and most do not receive treatment. Campuses lack resources to meet this need, thus accessible and affordable treatment options are important. Intuitive eating (IE) is gaining mainstream interest, but intervention research is scarce, with no known clinical trials in college women. This uncontrolled pilot trial examined the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of an eight-week IE intervention delivered through two potentially accessible and affordable modalities: group and guided self-help (GSH).

METHOD

Racially and ethnically diverse college women (N = 71; <50% White) were recruited from a large public Mid-Atlantic university and randomized to group (n = 40) or GSH (n = 31). Assessments occurred at 0 (pre-test), 8 (post-test), and 16 weeks (follow-up). Group participants attended eight weekly 1.5-hour sessions. GSH participants engaged in self-study and had eight weekly 20-minute phone calls.

RESULTS

Both conditions demonstrated feasibility, with superior retention and attendance in GSH. Over 90% of those attending at least one session in either condition were retained through follow-up. Both conditions were highly acceptable, and produced medium to large reductions in DEBs, body dissatisfaction, and weight-bias internalization, and improvements in body appreciation, IE, and satisfaction with life from pre- to post-test, which were maintained at follow-up.

DISCUSSION

Results of this pilot are encouraging and support the development of a larger randomized controlled trial. Avenues for refinement include strategies to improve feasibility of the group condition, and conducting longer-term follow-up to examine maintenance of effects and the intervention's eating disorder prevention potential.