Effectiveness of Attachment-Based Intervention in Body Mass Index, Emotion Regulation and Food-Cravings Obese Adolescent Girls: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Obesity causes physical, psychological and even emotional problems and these conditions can change body mass index, craving and even emotion regulation, so the aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of attachment-based intervention in body mass index, emotion regulation and food-cravings obese adolescent girls.

The research method was quasi-experimental with pre-test and post-test design with a control group and a two-month follow-up. The statistical population of this study was all female students with obesity and referring to endocrinology and obesity centers in Sari in 2019. From the target population, 24 subjects were selected by available sampling method and based on inclusion and exclusion criteria and were randomly assigned to the experimental and control groups according to the lottery. The research instruments included Body Mass Index (BMI), emotion regulation questionnaire of Gratz and Roemer (2004) and Food-Cravings questionnaire of Cepeda-Benito et al. (2000). The experimental group underwent attachment-based treatment in 10 sessions of 90 minutes for two months. From both experimental and control groups before the intervention; Pre-test, termination of intervention; Post-test and again two months after the intervention; Follow-up received. The results were analyzed using repeated measures analysis of variance and chi-square with SPSS 18 software.

The result of the mean index in the body mass index in the pre-test was 32.52, and the post-test was 30.94. , Follow-up is 30.11, inthe experimental group in food cravings in the pre-test were 119.91, the post-test was 103.41, and the follow-up was 102.91. In emotion regulation, the pre-test is 126.32, the post-test is 111.25, and the follow-up is 111.45. The results showed that Attachment-Based Intervention in variables; body mass index (p<0.001, F=27.344), craving food (p< 0.001, F=54.174) and regulating emotion (p< 0.001, F=69.668) has a significant effect. In general, there is a significant difference between the pre-test and post-test of the experimental group in the intervention process according to the control group (P <0.01). Also, the follow-up study showed the stability of the intervention.

The results of this study emphasize the importance of food attachment in obese people, which can provide practical implications for therapists to reduce food craving, emotion regulation and improve body mass in obese female adolescents.