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Meta-Analysis
. 2024 Dec;26(4):e13181.
doi: 10.1111/nhs.13181.

Movement Awareness Therapies in Eating Disorders: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Cristina Bravo  1   2   3   4 , Didier Hernández-García  1   5 , Manuel Trinidad-Fernández  2   6 , Gina Badia  5 , Silvia Solé  2   3   4 , José Serrano  7
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

Movement Awareness Therapies in Eating Disorders: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Cristina Bravo et al. Nurs Health Sci. 2024 Dec.

Abstract

Given the rising prevalence and complexity of eating disorders, a comprehensive multidisciplinary holistic approach is necessary. This work aimed to assess the effectiveness of body and movement awareness therapies in patients with eating disorders. Search strategy was undertaken using several scientific health databases. Articles were eligible if they were randomized controlled trials analyzing the effects of movement and body awareness therapies in eating disorders. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) statement for systematic reviews was followed and the risk of bias was assessed using the "Cochrane Collaboration Tool to assess the risk of bias." 11 articles met the inclusion criteria, including 437 patients. No high-quality randomized controlled trials were found. Forest plot analysis of the Eating Disorder Examination scale showed a difference favors to body awareness therapies but not significantly neither homogeneous. The interventions analyzed included yoga, body awareness therapy, dance, and psychomotor therapy. Body awareness therapies provide some additional benefits for eating disorder symptoms, such as emotion regulation, self-criticism, self-confidence, self-compassion, anxiety, body attitude, eating disorder symptoms, and quality of life.

Keywords: awareness; body image; eating disorder; meta‐analysis; movement; physical therapy.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Flow chart of the selection process.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Risk of bias analysis from the selected studies.
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
Forest plot of EDE comparison: Body awareness versus control group and Forest plot of comparison for standardized mean difference analysis of ED symptoms between body awareness versus control.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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