Implementing a culturally-adapted eating disorder prevention program in an Orthodox Jewish high school

The objective of this study was to explore changes in student outcomes after participating in a culturally-adapted eating disorder prevention program. This program utilized dissonance induction in order to promote body satisfaction and reduce subscription to society’s weight-based standards for beauty, termed the “thin ideal”. The program was adapted to be culturally-sensitive and appropriate for use in Orthodox Jewish schools and institutions. The 9th and 10th grade students of an Orthodox Jewish all-girls high school in southern California participated in the study (n=22). Students completed questionnaires and rating scales prior to participating in the program and upon completion of the program, assessing body dissatisfaction, thin ideal internalization, self-esteem, negative affect, and weight and shape concerns. Repeated measures ANOVA’s were used to identify significant changes in scores from pretest to post-test. Additionally, MANOVA’s were utilized to examine potential interaction effects and variables that may impact change. Significant reductions from pretest to post-test were found for body dissatisfaction and negative affect. Interaction effects approached significance for initial severity of body dissatisfaction and its change from pretest to post-test, and for self-esteem and change in thin-ideal internalization. Limitations of this study included small sample size, lack of a control group, and utilization of a convenience sample. Implications of the study include suggestions for successful universal implementation. This study was exploratory, and more research utilizing larger samples, control groups, long-term measurement of outcomes, and school-based facilitators is recommended.Psy.D.Includes bibliographical referencesby Alexandra Glovinsk