title: Effects of being a peer-leader in an eating disorder prevention program: can we further reduce eating disorder risk factors?
abstract: Studies regarding the effect of peer-leadership on peer-leaders in prevention programs remain extremely limited. In this study, 83 undergraduate sorority members, who previously participated in the program, served as peer-leaders for an eating disorder prevention program. Peer-leaders attended 9 hours of training and then led two 2-hour sessions. Leaders showed decreases (beyond participation in earlier studies) in dietary restraint, bulimic pathology, body dissatisfaction, and thin-ideal internalization from pre-training through 7-week follow up. Results from this exploratory study suggest that peer-leaders who participate in a program and subsequently lead it may experience additional benefits compared to participation in the program alone.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Trinity University, One Trinity Place, San Antonio, TX 78212-7200, USA. carolyn.becker@trinity.edu
authors.forename: Carolyn
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Black Becker
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bull
authors.forename: Lisa M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Anna C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Ciao
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001828:Body Image; D003073:Cognitive Dissonance; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007857:Leadership; D008402:Mass Media; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000458:organization & administration*; D010379:Peer Group; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011582:Psychological Theory; D012307:Risk Factors; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior; D012945:Social Values; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult