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Completed

NCT Number: NCT07179068

Acceptability and Feasibility of a Single-Session Online Parent-Focused Intervention Targeting Child Body Image Development

Body image concerns have been linked to diverse mental health issues, including depression and disordered eating. Disordered eating can develop into clinically significant eating disorders, which are associated with serious negative impacts on psychological and physical well-being, and can adversely impact developmental trajectories in children and adolescents. Given limitations in the eating disorder intervention literature, it is important to invest in effective eating disorder prevention programs. Evidence suggests that children can recognize the existence of societal appearance ideals as early as age 3; thus, this study examines the acceptability and feasibility of a single-session, online, parent-focused intervention targeting predictors of body image disturbance in young children.

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Key information

Conditions

Eating Disorders Behavior Body Image Disturbance Feeding and Eating Disorders Mental Disorders Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Prejudice Signs and Symptoms Signs and Symptoms, Digestive Social Behavior Weight Bias Weight Prejudice

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Prolific Online Survey Platform

Albany, New York, 12222, United States

About this study

Body image concerns have been linked longitudinally to diverse mental health issues, including disordered eating. Disordered eating can develop into clinically significant eating disorders, which are associated with serious psychological and physical sequelae and can adversely impact developmental trajectories in children and adolescents. The mortality rate associated with eating disorders is second only to that of opiate addiction. Existing treatments for eating disorders remain only moderately effective, with ~40% remission rates for anorexia and bulimia nervosa. It is therefore important to examine early risk factors for the development of body image concerns to inform preventive approaches suitable for intervening early on in the development of disordered eating.

Evidence suggests that children can recognize the existence of societal appearance ideals as early as age 3; in fact, exposure to appearance-focused media at age 3 is prospectively predictive of positive associations with thinness at age 4 and dietary restraint behaviors at age 5. These findings suggest an important role of societal appearance ideals in fostering body discontent and point to the media as a crucial source of communication of these ideals to children. Parents have a great deal, if not all, control over the information their young children are exposed to within the home and from the outside world. The proposed study is based on the assumption that intervening with parents of young children, with a focus on education about the impact of media exposure, can reduce body image disturbance and prevent the future development of disordered eating. Thus, this study explores the acceptability and feasibility of a single-session, online, parent-focused intervention targeting predictors of body image disturbance in young children.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

Must be at least 18 years old and reside in the US. They must also be the parent of a young child between the ages of 2-6.

Exclusion criteria

None beyond not meeting inclusion criteria.

Treatment and study plan

Child Body Image Development Workshop

Behavioral

This is an online, single-session, modular intervention for parents of children that are two-to-six years old. It is designed to target and improve child body image development by providing psychoeducation and interactive activities to parents in each of the four modules. Modules include Body Image Development/Body Talk, Food Talk, Picky Eating and Mealtime Conversations, and Media Usage and Social Comparison. These modules were designed using the results of our previously completed Needs Assessment, as well as the current evidence-base regarding risk factors for the development of body image in young children.

Primary outcomes

  1. Acceptability

    Time frame: Directly after completion of the intervention.

    Acceptability will be examined via questions about intervention credibility and expectancy to be completed by workshop participants post-intervention, adapted from the well-establish Credibility and Expectancy Questionnaire (e.g., "At this point, how logical does the intervention seem to you?" "At this point, how successful do you think this information will be in reducing your concerns about your child's eating patterns?").

  2. Recruitment

    Time frame: 1 year after study recruitment begins.

    Feasibility includes recruitment and retention rates and measurement burden. First, feasibility will be defined as successful recruitment of 50 moms and 50 dads.

  3. Retention

    Time frame: At the end of data collection, an average of one year after recruitment begins.

    Feasibility includes recruitment and retention rates and measurement burden. Second, feasibility will be defined as retention of 85 % of participants through the entire intervention.

  4. Missingness

    Time frame: At the end of data collection, an average of one year after recruitment begins.

    In addition, minimal missing data as well as survey items completed will be looked at as measures of feasibility. Less than 5 % of missing data will be required for the study to be considered feasible.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Initial Efficacy

    Time frame: Directly following completion of the intervention.

    In Phase 2, 50 parents in the intervention group will complete the intervention, and then complete knowledge checks. 50 parents in the control group will not complete the intervention, and will only complete the knowledge checks. As a measure of initial efficacy, a t-test will be used to compare performance on the knowledge checks in the treatment vs. control group.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University at Albany

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Protocol for a Pilot Randomized Trial Assessing the Acceptability, Feasibility, and Initial Efficacy of a Single-session Online Parent-focused Intervention Targeting Predictors of Body Image Disturbance in Young Children

Important dates

Study start
2025
Primary completion
2026
Study completion
2026
First posted
Sep 17, 2025
Registry last updated
Jul 27, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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