The Pride Body Project

Eating disorders (i.e., anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, and eating
disorder not otherwise specified) are resistant to treatment and associated with significant
morbidity and mortality. Thus, efficacious and efficient eating disorder prevention programs
are greatly needed. Extant literature has found that males also experience eating disorders,
constituting up to 40% of individuals with diagnostic/sub-threshold eating pathology.

Among males, sexual minorities (i.e., gay, bisexual, and non-heterosexual identified
individuals) are a salient subgroup that is at substantial risk for developing eating
disorders. Indeed, sexual minority males are not only at elevated risk compared to
heterosexual males, but are also at elevated risk compared to heterosexual females. The
lifetime prevalence for any eating disorder diagnosis among sexual minority males is 8.8%,
and subclinical diagnosis is 15.6%. This is in contrast to heterosexual females, in which the
prevalence for clinical and subclinical diagnoses are at 4.8% and 8.0%, respectively. These
findings indicate that sexual minority males are one of the most vulnerable groups in regard
to eating pathology risk.

Despite their high vulnerability, there is a paucity of research on eating disorder
prevention programs among sexual minority males. The investigators are only aware of one
previous prevention program targeting sexual minority males. The PRIDE Body Project,
developed and tested by this research team, is a two-session, peer co-led, group, cognitive
dissonance-based eating disorder prevention program, based on existing eating disorder
prevention programs developed with females (The Body Project). In the preliminary randomized
controlled trial (RCT), the researchers found significant and large effects on eating
pathology and relevant eating disorder risk factors, compared to a waitlist control
condition, at post-treatment and 4-weeks post-treatment. Additionally, preliminary mediation
analyses revealed that internalization of the appearance ideal and body dissatisfaction
accounted for significant variance in the relationship between treatment condition and eating
pathology. These results represent an important first step in demonstrating the
acceptability, feasibility, and preliminary efficacy of a brief, peer-led eating disorder
prevention program for sexual minority males.

Despite these initial findings, future research is needed to further test this promising
intervention. Specifically, it is not known if the PRIDE Body Project will exert a clinically
and statistically significant effect in comparison to a time and attention-matched control
condition. Additionally, it is unknown if the intervention effects will persist beyond
4-weeks post-intervention. To address these gaps, we propose the following aims:

Specific Aim 1: Conduct a randomized controlled trial assessing the PRIDE Body Project to a
time and attention-matched active control condition. The researchers plan to randomize 348 18
to 30-year-old sexual minority males (in a 1:1 scheme) to either the experimental PRIDE Body
Project condition or a media advocacy condition. Participants will be followed for 2 years
post-baseline assessment, with major assessment points at: baseline, post-intervention, 6
month, 12 month, 18 month, and 24 month follow-up. Primary outcomes will be eating disorder
symptoms and eating disorder onset. The researchers hypothesize that participants randomized
to the PRIDE Body Project will yield significantly greater reductions in eating disorder
symptoms, and produce lower incidence rates of eating disorders, compared to participants in
the media advocacy condition.

Specific Aim 2: Conduct longitudinal mediation analyses of the treatment effect. In an effort
to more fully understand the mechanisms of change in the PRIDE Body Project, the researchers
will assess two theoretically and empirically based mediators of the effect of treatment on
eating disorder symptoms. Specifically, the researchers hypothesize that assignment to the
PRIDE Body Project condition will lead to significant reductions in body dissatisfaction and
internalization of the appearance ideal, which in turn will lead to reductions in eating
disorder symptoms/onset.

Sexual minority males are one of the most vulnerable groups for developing eating disorders,
yet the creation and testing of theoretically and empirically based prevention programs is in
its very early stages. The proposed study will provide crucial information on the efficacy of
a promising eating disorder prevention program, and has the potential to impact this
vulnerable population of young males. Given the brevity of the program, and its emphasis on
peer co-leaders, it has high potential for implementation and public health impact. This
proposal is also aligned with the purpose and research priorities of PA-15-261 (The Health of
Sexual and Gender Minority (SGM) Populations), namely, interventions aimed to "ameliorate
health disparities in SGM" through "large-scale design, implementation and evaluation of
preventative and/or treatment interventions addressing health issues in SGM populations."

Inclusion Criteria:

- Age 18 to 30

- Male gender

- Identifies as gay or bisexual or reports sexual attraction to men

- Reports body image concerns

- Able to provide informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

- Diagnosis of an eating disorder (anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating
disorder)

- Significant neuropsychiatric illness (e.g., diagnosis of dementia, untreated bipolar
disorder, psychosis, or active suicidal ideation)