Psychopathology, Body Image and Quality of Life in Female Children and Adolescents With Anorexia Nervosa: A Pilot Study on the Acceptability of a Pilates Program

Abstract

Background: Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a psychiatric illness that without early effective treatment becomes chronic with high physical, psychological and social morbidity and high mortality. Pilates exercises can improve quality of life and increase body awareness in different clinical and healthy populations. The aim of this pilot study was to examine the acceptability of a Pilates program in a sample of female children and adolescents with AN by evaluating the psychopathological status, alterations in the perception of body image and health-related quality of life after 10 weeks.Methods: A total of 12 female patients (age: 14.6 ± 1.7 years) completed the 10-week Pilates program. Psychopathology (EDI-3), body image disturbance (CDRS) and quality of life (KIDSCREEN-27) were evaluated before and after the intervention. A satisfaction questionnaire was also provided.Results: Regarding psychopathology, although there were standardized reductions in seven parameters of those that form EDI-3, none of them reached significance. In relation to body image, significant, moderately standardized and substantial decreases were observed in the body dissatisfaction (p = 0.046, Cohen's d = −0.69). There were significant, large standardized and substantial increases in physical well-being (p = 0.008, Cohen's d = 1.37) and significant, moderately standardized and substantial decreases in autonomy and parent relation (p = 0.021, Cohen's d = −0.60). Satisfaction data was positive. Conclusion:A Pilates program could help to improve perceived health outcomes by decreasing body dissatisfaction and increasing physical well-being in female children and adolescents with AN, so Pilates seems to be a beneficial complementary treatment in Martínez-Sánchez et al.Acceptability Pilates Children Adolescents AN children and adolescents with AN. These findings from our pilot study are encouraging for future research with a substantially larger sample size, representing the first phase of a longer process.

The Effect of Social Appearance Anxiety on Psychological Well-Being: A Study on Women Doing Regular Pilates Activities

“…Thøgersen-Ntoumani et al 52 58 on women treated for breast cancer, it was determined that pilates exercise method gave more positive results than belly dance. Martínez-García et al 59 found that pilates exercises applied 3 times a week for 10 consecutive weeks in girls and adolescents with anorexia nervosa decreased body image dissatisfaction and increased physical satisfaction. There are also findings in the literature that are not parallel to our study.…”

Exercise therapy in the treatment of anorexia nervosa: Its effects depending on the type of physical exercise—A systematic review

“…Among the 28 selected reports, we found seven reports corresponding to three studies (i.e., same sample, same trial number, same authors, same hospital): the two reports of Szabo & Green ( 49 ) and Chantler et al ( 50 ) were from the same study; the three reports of Fernandez-del-Valle et al ( 51 ), Fernandez-del-Valle et al ( 52 ) and Fernandez-del-Valle et al ( 53 ) were from the same study; and the two reports of Martinez-Sanchez et al ( 54 ) & Martinez-Sanchez et al ( 55 ) were from the same study.…”

“…The 28 reports from the 27 studies included and examined in this review aimed to assess the effects of ET on ED symptoms and/or on the physical and/or mental health of patients with AN. Thirteen studies were RCTs ( 49 – 53 , 56 – 63 ), 8 studies were NRCTs ( 8 , 64 – 70 ), and 6 studies were UTs ( 54 , 55 , 71 – 75 ). All studies included patients with a diagnosis of AN; 11 studies also included patients with other ED as well ( 58 – 60 , 62 , 63 , 66 , 69 , 70 , 72 – 74 ); while 16 of the 27 studies included only patients with AN ( 8 , 49 – 57 , 61 , 64 , 65 , 67 , 68 , 71 , 75 ).…”

“…All studies included patients with a diagnosis of AN; 11 studies also included patients with other ED as well ( 58 – 60 , 62 , 63 , 66 , 69 , 70 , 72 – 74 ); while 16 of the 27 studies included only patients with AN ( 8 , 49 – 57 , 61 , 64 , 65 , 67 , 68 , 71 , 75 ). Ten studies were conducted with inpatients ( 49 , 50 , 60 , 62 , 64 , 66 , 68 , 69 , 74 , 75 ), 15 were conducted with outpatients ( 51 – 53 , 56 – 59 , 61 , 63 , 65 , 67 , 70 – 73 ) and 2 did not report the treatment setting ( 8 , 54 , 55 ). A total of 1,316 participants were included, consisting of 1,246 patients diagnosed with an ED, 715 of which had AN, and 70 healthy controls.…”

Psychopathological Risk Factors Associated with Body Image, Body Dissatisfaction and Weight-Loss Dieting in School-Age Adolescents

“…Additionally, all the studies mentioned previously agree that female adolescents are the more vulnerable group. It is for this reason that all interventions that include the aforementioned parameters in clinical samples (anorexia nervosa) have obtained satisfactory results by contributing to the improvement of self-perception (as it helps reduce body dissatisfaction), thus having a direct impact on the reasons for dieting [40] above mentioned.…”