Efficacy of an integrated program (PIA-2) to reduce the risk for problems related to eating, weight and body image in female adolescents from Argentina.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine the efficacy of an integrated program (PIA-2) to reduce the risk for problems related to eating, weight and body image in female adolescents from Argentina. METHOD: A quasi-experimental study was conducted by comparing an experimental group versus a control group. The final sample included 509 girls aged 13-18 (M = 15.39 and SD = 1.30) from nine schools located in three geographical regions. They provided data at three assessment time points: baseline, post-intervention and a 3-month follow-up. Dependent variables included skipping breakfast, physical activity, eating disorder risk and thin-ideal internalization. The program was carried out in three 90-minute sessions within usual school hours, at 1-week intervals. RESULTS: Participants who received the intervention decreased more than the control group in skipping breakfast month by month. However, a significant effect of the intervention was not found on physical activity, eating disorder risk, and thin-ideal internalization. DISCUSSION: The presence of mixed findings shows the need to adjust the intervention to enhance the results. The importance of working jointly with other Latin American countries is emphasized, in order to promote the growth of the field of prevention, regarding cultural particularities shared by our societies. PUBLIC SIGNIFICANCE: Integrated programs aimed at reducing risk factors for the entire spectrum of problems related to eating, weight and body image could lead to beneficial and more efficient effects. However, their development is still incipient in Latin America. PIA-2 Program, designed for female adolescents, produced positive results in one of the four variables studied, decreasing the weekly frequency of skipping breakfast among adolescents. This is pioneering research in Argentina and the region since very few studies on integrated prevention have been published in Latin America. It is crucial to continue with efforts aimed at developing programs that are suited to the specific needs of the population of Latin American countries. In this aspect, our study is undoubtedly an important contribution.

Prevention of eating disorders in argentine adolescents.

In the last few decades much effort has been devoted to developing prevention programs for eating disorders, as most individuals with these pathologies do not receive treatment and tend to become chronic. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a cognitive dissonance and media literacy intervention aimed at preventing eating disorders in female adolescents. Eighty-eight female students (aged 12-17) from Argentina, participated in a 3-session program. Adolescents completed a baseline, post-intervention and a 6-month follow-up survey. A significant decrease in thin-ideal internalization, body image concerns, influence of advertising, drive for thinness and bulimic attitudes was found at post-intervention. In addition, the number of participants with disturbed eating attitudes and behaviors decreased at post-intervention. Results for body image concerns and drive for thinness were maintained at follow-up.

Estrategias de afrontamiento en mujeres maltratadas: la percepción del proceso por parte de las mujeres / Coping strategies in battered women: women´s perception of the process

El objetivo del presente estudio es analizar aquellas estrategias de afrontamiento presentes en las mujeres que sufren violencia doméstica. Se diferencian las estrategias que resultarían disfuncionales de aquellas funcionales o adaptativas por su impacto en la salud y en la calidad de vida de las mujeres. Se presentan los resultados de una primera exploración cualitativa acerca de estas estrategias en nuestra población. La metodología se basó en entrevistas en profundidad a 8 mujeres que se encuentran en proceso de afrontamiento o que ya han superado la situación de violencia en su pareja. Asimismo, se utilizó la observación de dinámicas de grupos de autoayuda específicamente orientados a esta conflictiva. La muestra total estuvo conformada por 12 mujeres de entre 35 y 69 años, asistentes a centros especializados en la problemática. Los resultados destacan la relevancia del apoyo psicosocial para el afrontamiento adaptativo de esta problemática.

The present paper analyzes the coping strategies of women who suffer intimate partner violence. Maladaptive and adaptive strategies are differentiated on the basis of their impact on health and quality of life. The results of a first qualitative exploration of these strategies in our population are presented. The methodology was based on in-depth interviews to 8 women who were coping with or had already overcome violence in their couple. The dynamics of self-help groups specifically oriented to this issue have been observed as well. The total sample was formed by 12 women, whose age ranged from 35 to 69, attending to centers specialized in domestic violence. Results highlight the relevance of psychosocial support for an adaptive coping.