Diabet Med. 2026 Apr 9:e70302. doi: 10.1111/dme.70302. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Co-occurrence of eating disorders (ED) and type 1 diabetes (T1D) can lead to deterioration in glycaemic control with reduced quality of life, microvascular complications, diabetic ketoacidosis and premature death. The current trial aims to test the effectiveness of an Australian Diabetes Body Project (ADBP) programme, a cognitive dissonance-based group intervention, on ED risk factors and symptoms, psychometric analysis, quality of life and glycaemia control in young women with T1D.
METHODS: Mixed methods, prospective randomized controlled trial (RCT) using an online, six-week group intervention facilitated by a clinician and a peer with T1D. A sample of 80 young women with T1D aged 15 to 30 years will be randomized to the ADBP or active control (educational videos) condition. Participants will complete assessments of body dissatisfaction, eating behaviours, quality of life and diabetes distress, at baseline, post-intervention and at three-month follow-up. Medical record data will be extracted to determine changes in glycaemia outcomes. ADBP participants will be invited to provide feedback on the benefits and acceptability of the intervention.
DISCUSSION: The ADBP will be the first clinic-based RCT to examine the effectiveness of a virtual, cognitive dissonance-based intervention for reducing ED risk factors and symptoms in young women with T1D. The results of this project will have immediate implications for clinical practice in Australia and globally, given the increasing prevalence of ED in this high-risk group and limited effective prevention programmes available.
TRIAL REGISTRATION: The trial is registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR) (Trial ID: ACTRN12624000555550); accessible at (https://anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?ACTRN=12624000555550).
PMID:41955392 | DOI:10.1111/dme.70302
