An Exploratory Analysis of the Role of Interpersonal Styles in Eating Disorder Prevention Outcomes

This study examined the influence of interpersonal style on the outcomes of an established eating disorder prevention program for 5th-grade females. Participants were assigned to either a school-based manualized eating disorder prevention group or wait-list control. Drive for Thinness and Body Dissatisfaction subscales from the Eating Disorder Inventory–3 were significantly reduced for those in the treatment group when compared to controls. The Bulimia subscale was related to lower interpersonal affiliation only for the treatment group. Results highlight the need to take interpersonal styles into account when providing eating disorder prevention programming with children.