Enjoyment and perceived value of two school-based interventions designed to reduce risk factors for eating disorders in adolescents

ObjectiveTo investigate the enjoyment and perceived value associated with two interventions designed to reduce risk factors for eating disorders in young adolescents.MethodParticipants were 86 high school students (53 boys and 33 girls) with a mean age of13.4 years (SD=0.4). Classes were randomly assigned to either a control condition or one of the two intervention conditions, a media literacy program or a self-esteem program.MeasuresStudents in the intervention groups were asked to evaluate the two programs in terms of enjoyment and perceived value.ResultsThe majority of students thought that the programs were enjoyable and valuable. Overall, the media literacy program was the intervention preferred by students. Students in both interventions said that they had learnt to accept themselves better.ConclusionsBoth programs seemed relevant in the process of helping students to be happier with themselves. When media literacy is delivered within an interactive, student-centred framework it may potentially be a safe and effective way of reducing risk factors for eating disorders. Differences in the enjoyment and value between the two interventions may be due to the different way in which the programs were implemented.