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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2022 Sep 23;19(19):12049.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph191912049.

Impact of an Intuitive Eating Intervention on Disordered Eating Risk Factors in Female-Identifying Undergraduates: A Randomized Waitlist-Controlled Trial

Julia A Katcher  1 , Richard R Suminski  1 , Carly R Pacanowski  1
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Impact of an Intuitive Eating Intervention on Disordered Eating Risk Factors in Female-Identifying Undergraduates: A Randomized Waitlist-Controlled Trial

Julia A Katcher et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

Dietary restraint and low body appreciation are common among female-identifying undergraduates and are related to the development of disordered eating, which female-identifying undergraduates engage in throughout college. Training students in intuitive eating, an approach that promotes eating by internal cues, may be a way to ameliorate dietary restraint and low body appreciation, ultimately decreasing disordered eating. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of a five-week intuitive eating intervention on dietary restraint, body appreciation, and intuitive eating in female-identifying undergraduates. A five-week intuitive eating intervention (NCT0394700) was facilitated by two Registered Dietitians. One treatment group (TG) (n = 7) and one waitlist control group (WLCG) (n = 7) participated in the trial. From baseline to post-intervention, there was a significant decrease in dietary restraint, t(12) = -2.88, p = 0.01, and a significant increase in intuitive eating, t(12) = 4.03, p = 0.002, in the TG compared to the WLCG. The intervention had replicable effects on all outcome variables. Measurements at the five-week follow-up suggested the impact was sustained. This study provides preliminary data suggesting an intuitive eating intervention may help improve disordered eating risk factors by decreasing dietary restraint and increasing intuitive eating in female-identifying undergraduates.

Keywords: body image; college students; dietary restraint; disordered eating; feeding and eating disorders; intuitive eating.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Intervention timeline and assessment time points for the treatment group (TG) and waitlist control group (WLCG).a 5 weeks indicates the length of the intervention period. b T1 for the TG represents the baseline assessment. c T2 for the TG represents the post-intervention assessment. d T3 for the TG represents the maintenance period. e T1 for WLCG represents the waitlist period. f T2 for WLCG represents the baseline assessment. g Same intervention as the TG. h T3 for WLCG represents the post-intervention assessment.
Figure 2
Figure 2
CONSORT diagram of female-identifying undergraduate participants and eligibility status for five-week intuitive eating intervention.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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