Virtual Reality in the Prevention of Risk Factors in Eating Disorders in Mexican Adolescent Girls
G. Gómez Peresmitré1, S. Platas Acevedo1, L. Hernández Mariana1, R. León Hernández1
1Facultad de Psicología, UNAM, División de Investigación y Estudios de Postgrado, México
The study’s main objective was to analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of a Virtual Reality Program (VRP) in the prevention of risk factors in eating disorders. The nonrandom sample of 30 adolescent girls (M = 13.4 years old, SD = 1.13), were selected from a greater sample of girls (130) who had chosen a thin ideal figure and had dieted in the past six months. The research adjusted to a pretest and posttest design. Once the informed consent was obtained, a baseline was established using a self-report questionnaire (alpha = .90). The results were statistically significant in the expected direction, some of these were: ideal figure t(27) = 4.42, p =.0001; Mpre = 1.99 SD= .60; Mpost = 2.64, SD =.49 body image dissatisfaction t(27) = 4.67, p = .0001, Mpre = 2, 21, SD = 2, 1; Mpost = .50 SD= 1.3; Restrained diet, t(27) = 1.25 p = .001, Mpre = 2.49, SD= .70; Mpost = 1.61; SD = .52. The posttest was estimated a month after the pretest.The clinical significance test showed that a significant percentage of participants (48% - 70%) were in the out of risk category after the intervention. Although these results are preliminary, as it is necessary to evaluate their effects over time, they are encouraging because they showed not only a decrease in the risk factors, but also a congruent relationship between variables related to body image and eating behavior. KeyWords. An intervention program of virtual reality, a prevention program of risk factors, body image variables, disordered eating behavior, adolescent girls.