"The Healthy Body Image" (HBI) Program: A Program to Promote a Positive Body Image
Condition: Quality of Life; Eating Behaviors; Physical Activity
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      Too many Norwegian adolescents experience severe body dissatisfaction (40-70 %), and strive
      to accomplish the "perfect body". At the same time, only 50 % meet the government's
      recommendations on physical activity and intake of fruits and vegetables. Also, 14-24 % has
      unhealthy sleeping habits. Optimizing these lifestyle factors is associated with physical and
      psychological health. These factors, along with the pressure to obtain the "perfect" body,
      are threatening the adolescent's physical and psychological health, jfr. Meld St nr 19. It is
      now a need for knowledge on how the investigators can contribute to promote positive body
      experience among the adolescents.

      It has recently, through a controlled study on elite youth athletes at Norwegian sports high
      schools, been shown that it is possible to change eating habits, improve body image and
      reduce new cases of eating disorder. It is now desirable to test an adapted program through a
      school-based program at regular Norwegian high school students (12th grade). Today, no
      controlled, school-based intervention studies with long-term follow-up have been conducted.

      The main aim of this project is to investigate if it is possible, through a school-based
      intervention program (Healthy Body Intervention), to promote positive body image, increase
      physical activity level, and healthy eating and sleeping habits in both boys and girls at
      Norwegian high schools.

      The intervention program will contribute with new evidence-based knowledge on the effect of
      an adapted health-promoting program.
    

Detailed description: 
      The design is a school-based randomized controlled trial (RCT) intervention, using the
      methods questionnaire and interview to obtain data. Based on statistical power analyses, all
      high schools in Oslo and Akershus County will be asked to participate in the study. After the
      schools have responded, consenting schools will be stratified (by size and geographical
      affiliation) and randomized to the intervention or the control condition. To minimize
      contamination biases within schools, the investigators prepare a cluster-randomized
      design.The population should contain 17-20 schools (1400 students at 2nd year). Data
      collection is conducted through pre-test and post-test 1, 2, and 3 (acute, 3, and 12 month
      post-intervention). At post-test 1, a selection is invited to participate in an interview
      about feasibility in addition to the questionnaire. It is an intervention for students
      containing interactive lecturers with discussion, team work, discussions and home
      assignments.
    

Intervention name(s): The "Healthy Body Image" intervention
Intervention type(s): Other
Intervention description(s): Interactive workshops (3 x 90 minutes) include training techniques to increase media literacy, enhance self-esteem, positive body image, awareness of perfectionism, and include discussions related to truths and myths related to life style factors. Homework is an extension of each workshop that is simple and not time-consuming tasks to increase reflection and awareness of how all the mentioned factors are a part of their lives.
Other intervention name(s): Healthy Body Image
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Other
Keywords: Body Image