PRIMARY PREVENTION OF EATING DISORDERS - MIGHT IT DO MORE HARM THAN GOOD

Objective: The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate a new school-ba sed eating disorder prevention program designed to reduce dietary rest raint Method: Forty-six schoolgirls, aged 13-14 years, took part. The intervention consisted of eight weekly sessions of 45 min duration. A battery of self-report questionnaires was administered before and afte r the intervention and 6 months later. Results: Unlike previous preven tion studies, there was not only an increase in knowledge at postinter vention but there was also a decrease in target behavior and attitudes . However, these effects were short-lived since they had disappeared 6 months later: indeed, at 6-month follow-up there was an increase in d ietary restraint compared with baseline. Discussion: These findings su ggest that the intervention had been counterproductive since it led to an increase in dietary restraint. They imply that school-based preven tion programs may do more harm than good. (C) 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.