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Expand Your Horizon-Spanish
Sponsor: Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona
Summary
The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate whether Expand Your Horizon (EYH), a brief writing intervention focused on body functionality, can improve body image in university students aged 18 to 30 years in Spain and Argentina. The main questions it aims to answer are: Does EYH improve body appreciation and appreciation of body functionality compared with an active control condition? Are changes in body image flexibility, self-compassion, and mentalization potential mechanisms underlying improvements in body image? Researchers will compare EYH with an active control program involving creative writing exercises to evaluate the effects of the intervention. Participants will: Complete online questionnaires before the intervention, immediately after it, and one month later. Complete three writing exercises over approximately five days. Participants in the EYH group will write about their body's functions and their personal meaning, while those in the control group will complete creative writing exercises. Answer questions about their experience of the intervention, including satisfaction and acceptability. Have their written responses to the EYH exercises analyzed qualitatively to explore how they describe and understand their bodies and body functionality.
Official title: Spanish Adaptation and Efficacy Evaluation of Expand Your Horizon: A Writing Intervention to Improve Body Image in University Students
Key Details
Gender
All
Age Range
18 Years - 30 Years
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Enrollment
200
Start Date
2026-12-01
Completion Date
2027-05
Last Updated
2026-10-26
Healthy Volunteers
Yes
Interventions
Expand Your Horizon (EYH)
Expand Your Horizon (EYH) is a brief online writing intervention designed to improve body image by promoting appreciation of body functionality. Participants complete three structured reflective writing exercises focusing on sensory experiences and physical capacities; internal bodily processes and creative activities; and self-care and communication with others. In each exercise, participants reflect on the functions their bodies perform and their personal meaning. Participants write continuously for at least 15 minutes per exercise. The intervention is delivered through Qualtrics over approximately five days.
Creative Writing Control
Participants will complete three creative writing exercises involving fictional short stories. For each exercise, participants will select a main character (other than themselves), a setting, and a plot, and write a detailed story. Different characters, settings, and plots will be used across the exercises. Participants will be instructed to write continuously for at least 15 minutes and not to worry about spelling, sentence structure, or grammar. The control program will be delivered online through Qualtrics over approximately five days. After completing all study assessments, participants will be offered the opportunity to complete the Expand Your Horizon (EYH) intervention.
Locations (1)
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Barcelona, Cerdanyola Del Vallès, Spain