Sarraj Sharri, Berry Sophie L, Burton Amy L
School of Psychology, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia.
Graduate School of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia.
Nutrients. 2025 Jun 26;17(13):2118. doi: 10.3390/nu17132118.
Eating disorders (EDs) are complex conditions with significant psychological, physical, and economic impacts, prompting national calls to prioritize ED prevention. Despite numerous prevention programs being implemented in Australian schools, no review to date has systematically mapped their scope, design, and outcomes.
This scoping review aimed to map the current landscape of school-based ED prevention programs conducted in Australia. The review focused on their methodological features, participant and school characteristics, data collected, and key findings.
Four electronic databases (MEDLINE, PsycINFO, EMBASE, and Scopus) were searched for relevant papers published from 2010 to February 2025. Studies were included if they reported on a school-based ED prevention program targeting Australian students. Data were extracted and narratively synthesized.
A total of 23 studies were identified, representing a range of universal and selective prevention programs. Programs varied in design, delivery, and target populations, with most focusing on students in Grades 7-8. Universal media literacy programs like Media Smart showed good outcomes for boys and girls, while several selective programs demonstrated improvements in body image for girls. Interventions targeting boys or using mindfulness approaches often lacked effectiveness or caused unintended harm. Major gaps in the literature include a lack of qualitative research, limited long-term follow-up, and minimal focus on protective factors.
While a range of ED prevention programs have been trialed in Australian schools, few have been rigorously evaluated or demonstrated sustained effectiveness. There is a need for developmentally appropriate, gender-sensitive, and culturally inclusive prevention efforts in schools. Future research should use diverse methods, include underrepresented groups, assess long-term outcomes, integrate broader sociocultural factors shaping students' environment, and consider enhancing protective factors.
饮食失调是复杂的病症，会对心理、身体和经济产生重大影响，这促使全国呼吁将饮食失调预防作为优先事项。尽管澳大利亚学校实施了众多预防项目，但迄今为止，尚无综述对其范围、设计和成果进行系统梳理。
本范围综述旨在梳理澳大利亚开展的基于学校的饮食失调预防项目的现状。该综述聚焦于其方法学特征、参与者和学校特征、收集的数据以及主要发现。
检索了四个电子数据库（MEDLINE、PsycINFO、EMBASE和Scopus），以查找2010年至2025年2月发表的相关论文。若研究报告了针对澳大利亚学生的基于学校的饮食失调预防项目，则纳入研究。提取数据并进行叙述性综合分析。
共识别出23项研究，涵盖了一系列普遍预防和选择性预防项目。这些项目在设计、实施和目标人群方面各不相同，大多数项目聚焦于7至8年级的学生。像“媒体智能”这样的普遍媒体素养项目对男孩和女孩都显示出良好效果，而一些选择性项目则表明女孩的身体形象有改善。针对男孩或采用正念方法的干预措施往往缺乏效果或造成意外伤害。文献中的主要差距包括缺乏定性研究、长期随访有限以及对保护因素的关注极少。
虽然澳大利亚学校已经试验了一系列饮食失调预防项目，但很少有项目经过严格评估或证明具有持续有效性。学校需要开展适合不同发展阶段、对性别敏感且具有文化包容性的预防工作。未来的研究应采用多种方法，纳入代表性不足的群体，评估长期结果，整合塑造学生环境的更广泛社会文化因素，并考虑增强保护因素。
