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"PRIMARY PREVENTION OF
EATING DISTURBANCES IN YOUNG WOMEN"
Date: Friday, February 19, 1999
Presented by: Donna Ciliska, RN, Ph.D.
Assoc. Professor, School of Nursing
It is estimated that only 10% of women
who have been drugged come forward. Testing
for the presence of these drugs is very
difficult to do, as the drug moves out of
the body very quickly, in many cases long
before the victim can determine she has
been drugged. In addition, other physical
evidence of sexual assault may have disappeared
down the drain before an awareness of assault
is aroused. The good news is that a test
has been developed which is sensitive to
the drugs presence; the bad news is that
money, always hard to come by, is needed
to test the test.
In February, Donna Ciliska and Lynne Garrison
presented preliminary findings of their
trial of the Body Positive Programme, a
primary prevention programme for eating,
weight and shape preoccupation in young
girls. This trial was aimed at girls 9-12
years of age, and included an active parent
component as well as a one-year follow-up.
Previous to this study, most primary prevention
programmes have been focused upon adolescents
and they have not proven effective. This
study was funded by the Ontario Mental Health
Foundation for the period April 1997 - March
1991 with Donna Ciliska as the Principal
Investigator. The Girl Guides of Canada
provided the forum and access to participants
through weekly Guide meetings. For 10-weeks,
group facilitators worked with the girls
on issues of body-image and shape preoccupation.
Parents were invited to attend several meetings
and participate in the programme. Initial
findings indicate that there exists no appreciable
difference between the score rates of the
control and intervention groups. In some
cases, scores in both groups indicated the
presence of potential eating disturbances,
if not already manifest. The usefulness
of lowering the age of participation was
discussed in the question period. However,
the necessity of literacy competence on
the part of participants compromises the
effectiveness of the programme for younger
girls. This research is significant in that
it highlights the early, pervasive presence
of body/shape preoccupation in young girls
and demonstrates the need for innovative
intervention programmes aimed at younger
age groups.
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