Abstract
Background
Binge eating behavior is highly likely to progress to an eating disorder, with female students particularly at risk.
Objective
This study aimed to verify the effect of a binge eating behavior management program, based on rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT), on binge eating behavior and related cognitive and emotional factors among female college students.
Method
The study, conducted from November 1 to December 2, 2016, involved a pretest-posttest design and nonequivalent control group. The sample included 24 and 22 first- to third-year students, from a college in South Korea, in the experimental and control groups, respectively. Data were collected using self-esteem, covert narcissism, perfectionism, body dissatisfaction, anxiety, depression, and binge eating scales and analyzed via frequency analysis, χ2 tests, t tests, and analysis of covariance.
Results
The results indicated that the REBT-based binge eating behavior management program exerted positive effects on participants’ self-esteem, reducing covert narcissism, body dissatisfaction, anxiety, depression, and binge eating. However, there was no significant difference in perfectionism, although the experimental group’s mean score decreased from pretest to posttest.
Conclusions
Based on the results, the program was considered to be effective, and is expected to be useful in preventing the development of eating disorders among female college students by treating binge eating behavior and related cognitive and emotional factors. This intervention could ultimately contribute to the improvement of female college students’ health and quality of life.
Moderating Effect of Resilience on the Relation between Interpersonal Stress and Binge Eating in Female College Students: An Exploratory Study
