Body ImageEYH-SpanishNCT07894978
Expand Your Horizon-Spanish
A study testing Expand Your Horizon (EYH) in people with Body Image and Body Image Dissatisfaction, run by Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona at 1 site in Spain.
Trial 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. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 30 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Body Image, Body Image Dissatisfaction, Eating Disorders
- What is being tested?
- Expand Your Horizon (EYH)
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 200 participants
- Where
- 1 siteSpain
- Study dates
- 1 Dec 2026to May 2027
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 to 30 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- Aged 18-30 years.
- Currently enrolled at a university in Spain or Argentina and residing in the corresponding country.
- Able to read, write, and understand Spanish.
Who cannot join
- Individuals who do not meet all the inclusion criteria.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
Spain1 site
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Barcelona, Cerdanyola Del Vallès, 08193
Estibaliz Royuela Colomer, Phd Psychology, +34 93 586 82 81, estibaliz.royuela@uab.cat
About this study
Official title: Spanish Adaptation and Efficacy Evaluation of Expand Your Horizon: A Writing Intervention to Improve Body Image in University Students
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:
Read more
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.
Read the detailed description
This study will adapt and evaluate the efficacy of Expand Your Horizon (EYH), a brief writing intervention designed to improve positive body image by encouraging individuals to appreciate their bodies for what they can do rather than focusing primarily on physical appearance. The study will be conducted with university students in Spain and Argentina and will examine the intervention's effects across these two cultural contexts.
The study will comprise two phases. The first phase will involve the linguistic and cultural adaptation of EYH into European Spanish and Argentine Spanish. The adaptation process will include translation, independent back-translation, review by the research and clinical teams, and assessment by an expert panel to ensure semantic and conceptual equivalence, clinical relevance, and cultural appropriateness. The adapted materials will be pilot tested with university students in each country. Feedback on clarity, comprehensibility, acceptability, and cultural appropriateness will be used to refine the final versions.
The second phase will be a two-arm, parallel-group randomized controlled trial. Approximately 200 university students will be recruited, with a target of 100 participants in Spain and 100 in Argentina. Within each country, participants will be randomly allocated in a 1:1 ratio to the EYH intervention or an active control condition consisting of creative writing exercises. Randomization will use block allocation stratified by gender. Both conditions will be delivered online through Qualtrics using comparable formats and schedules. Participants will not be informed which condition represents the intervention or control condition, and data analysts will remain blinded to group allocation during the primary analyses.
EYH consists of three structured reflective writing exercises focused on different domains of body functionality. Participants will reflect on their body's sensory experiences and physical capacities, internal processes and creative activities, and self-care and communication with others. For each exercise, participants will write about the functions their body performs and why these functions are personally meaningful. Participants will be instructed to write continuously for at least 15 minutes and then reread their responses without editing them.
The active control condition will consist of three fictional short-story writing exercises. Participants will select a character, setting, and plot for each exercise and write a story in detail. The control condition is designed to provide a comparable writing experience without the specific focus on body functionality. Participants assigned to the control group will be offered the opportunity to complete EYH after finishing the study assessments.
The intervention will be delivered over approximately five days. The first exercise will take place on Day 1, the second approximately two days later, and the third approximately two days after the second. Participants will complete online assessments at baseline, immediately after the intervention, and one month later. Automated email reminders will be used to support completion of the exercises and assessments.
In addition to evaluating intervention efficacy, the study will investigate potential psychological processes that may help explain changes following EYH. These exploratory analyses will examine body image flexibility, self-compassion, and mentalization as potential mechanisms of change. The study will also explore whether intervention effects differ according to gender and country.
Participants' adherence to the writing exercises and their satisfaction with the intervention will be assessed. Written responses to the EYH exercises will be analyzed qualitatively to explore how participants describe and make sense of their bodies and body functionality. This analysis will be conducted separately for Spain and Argentina and will consider both shared and context-specific themes. Open-ended feedback about participants' experiences of the intervention will also be collected to inform future refinements.
The study will be conducted in accordance with applicable ethical principles. Participation will be voluntary, and informed consent will be obtained before enrolment. Research data will be pseudonymized, with identifying contact information stored separately and deleted after data collection. Pseudonymized study data will be retained for five years after study completion, with access restricted to authorized members of the research team.
- Being tested
- Expand Your Horizon (EYH), Creative Writing Control
- Medical subject headings
- Feeding and Eating Disorders
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Expand Your Horizon (EYH)Behavioural
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 ControlBehavioural
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.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Expand Your Horizon (EYH) | Experimental | Participants will complete three structured reflective writing exercises focused on body functionality. The exercises address sensory experiences and physical capacities, internal bodily processes and creative activities, and self-care and communication with others. Participants will reflect on the functions their bodies perform and their personal meaning. Each exercise will involve writing continuously for at least 15 minutes. The intervention will be delivered online through Qualtrics over approximately five days. Receives: Behavioral: Expand Your Horizon (EYH) |
| Creative Writing Control | Active comparator | 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. Receives: Behavioral: Creative Writing Control |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Functionality Appreciation (Functionality Appreciation Scale (FAS))
Functionality appreciation will be assessed using the 7-item Functionality Appreciation Scale (FAS), which measures appreciation of the body for what it can do and is capable of doing. Items are rated on a 5-point scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). The mean item score ranges from 1 to 5, with higher scores indicating greater appreciation of body functionality.
Measured: Baseline (day 1), immediately post-intervention (day 7), and 1-month follow-up.
Body Appreciation (Body Appreciation Scale-2 (BAS-2))
Body appreciation will be assessed using the 10-item Body Appreciation Scale-2 (BAS-2), which measures body acceptance, respect for and care of one's body, and protection from unrealistic beauty standards. Items are rated on a 5-point scale from 1 (never) to 5 (always). The mean item score ranges from 1 to 5, with higher scores indicating greater body appreciation.
Measured: Baseline (day 1), immediately post-intervention (day 7), and 1-month follow-up.
Secondary outcomes (4)
Body Image Flexibility (Body Image Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-5 (BI-AAQ-5))
Body image flexibility will be assessed using the 5-item Body Image Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-5 (BI-AAQ-5). Items are rated on a 7-point scale from 1 (never true) to 7 (always true). Items are reverse-coded and averaged to yield a mean score ranging from 1 to 7, with higher scores indicating greater body image flexibility.
Measured: Baseline (day 1), immediately post-intervention (day 7), and 1-month follow-up.
Self-Compassion (Self-Compassion Scale-Short Form (SCS-SF))
Self-compassion will be assessed using the 12-item Self-Compassion Scale-Short Form (SCS-SF). Items are rated on a 5-point scale from 1 (almost never) to 5 (almost always). The mean item score ranges from 1 to 5, with higher scores indicating greater self-compassion.
Measured: Baseline (day 1), immediately post-intervention (day 7), and 1-month follow-up.
Eating Disorder Symptoms (Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q-7))
Eating disorder symptoms will be assessed using the 7-item Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q-7), which measures core aspects of eating disorder psychopathology, including dietary restraint, overvaluation of shape and weight, and body dissatisfaction. Items are rated on a 7-point scale from 0 (no days/not at all) to 6 (every day/markedly). Items are averaged to yield a total score, with higher scores indicating greater eating disorder symptomatology.
Measured: Baseline (day 1), immediately post-intervention (day 7), and 1-month follow-up.
Mentalization (Reflective Functioning Questionnaire (RFQ-8))
Mentalization will be assessed using the 8-item Reflective Functioning Questionnaire (RFQ-8). Items are rated on a 7-point Likert scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree). Items are reverse-coded and averaged to yield a total score, with higher scores indicating greater mentalizing capacity. The Spanish version has demonstrated good psychometric properties and supports a unidimensional structure and the use of a single overall score (Cronbach's α = 0.76).
Measured: Baseline (day 1), immediately post-intervention (day 7), and 1-month follow-up.
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted26 Oct 2026
- Study start1 Dec 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completionMay 2027 (estimated)
- Study completionMay 2027 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (11)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Body ImageStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Model description
- Participants will be randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to one of two parallel groups: (1) the Expand Your Horizon (EYH) intervention, consisting of three reflective writing exercises focused on body functionality; or (2) an active control condition consisting of three creative writing exercises. Participants will remain in their assigned group throughout the study. Outcomes will be assessed at baseline, post-intervention, and one-month follow-up.
- Masking
- Quadruple blind
- Who is masked
- Participant, Care provider, Investigator, Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 200 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Consorcio Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red (CIBER), Maastricht University, Universitat Internacional de Catalunya
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Estibaliz Royuela Colomer, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona
- Investigators
- Estíbaliz Royuela Colomer, Psychology, PHD, Principal investigator, UNIVERSITAT AUTÒNOMA DE BARCELONA
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07894978
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- UABarcelona
- Other IDs
- PD622193 / D046700
- Acronym
- EYH-Spanish
- Status last verified
- Oct 2026
- First submitted
- 15 Oct 2026
- Last updated
- 26 Oct 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- Yes
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No: Individual participant data will not be shared with other researchers. Study data will be pseudonymized, and identifying contact information will be stored separately and deleted after data collection. Pseudonymized data will be retained for five years after study completion, with access restricted to authorized members of the research team.
Publications
Ruiz-Parra E, Manzano-Garcia G, Mediavilla R, Rodriguez-Vega B, Lahera G, Moreno-Perez AI, Torres-Cantero AM, Rodado-Martinez J, Bilbao A, Gonzalez-Torres MA. The Spanish version of the reflective functioning questionnaire: Validity data in the general population and individuals with personality disorders. PLoS One. 2023 Apr 6;18(4):e0274378. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0274378. eCollection 2023.
PubMed 37023214Jenkins PE, Davey E. The brief (seven-item) eating disorder examination-questionnaire: Evaluation of a non-nested version in men and women. Int J Eat Disord. 2020 Nov;53(11):1809-1817. doi: 10.1002/eat.23360. Epub 2020 Aug 6.
PubMed 32767481Raes F, Pommier E, Neff KD, Van Gucht D. Construction and factorial validation of a short form of the Self-Compassion Scale. Clin Psychol Psychother. 2011 May-Jun;18(3):250-5. doi: 10.1002/cpp.702. Epub 2010 Jun 8.
PubMed 21584907Basarkod G, Sahdra B, Ciarrochi J. Body Image-Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-5: An Abbreviation Using Genetic Algorithms. Behav Ther. 2018 May;49(3):388-402. doi: 10.1016/j.beth.2017.09.006. Epub 2017 Sep 22.
PubMed 29704968Zamora A, Desdentado L, Herrero R, Miragall M, Banos R. Psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the functionality appreciation scale. J Eat Disord. 2024 Apr 25;12(1):50. doi: 10.1186/s40337-024-01004-0.
PubMed 38664846Alleva JM, Tylka TL, Kroon Van Diest AM. The Functionality Appreciation Scale (FAS): Development and psychometric evaluation in U.S. community women and men. Body Image. 2017 Dec;23:28-44. doi: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2017.07.008. Epub 2017 Aug 17.
PubMed 28822275Swami V, Garcia AA, Barron D. Factor structure and psychometric properties of a Spanish translation of the Body Appreciation Scale-2 (BAS-2). Body Image. 2017 Sep;22:13-17. doi: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2017.05.002. Epub 2017 May 25.
PubMed 28551528Tylka TL, Wood-Barcalow NL. The Body Appreciation Scale-2: item refinement and psychometric evaluation. Body Image. 2015 Jan;12:53-67. doi: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2014.09.006. Epub 2014 Oct 21.
PubMed 25462882Alleva JM, Atkinson MJ, Vermeulen W, Monpellier VM, Martijn C. Beyond Body Size: Focusing on Body Functionality to Improve Body Image Among Women Who Have Undergone Bariatric Surgery. Behav Ther. 2023 Jan;54(1):14-28. doi: 10.1016/j.beth.2022.06.007. Epub 2022 Jul 3.
PubMed 36608971Glashouwer KA, Weiland S, Alleva JM. Expand Your Horizon: Testing a Brief Writing Intervention Focused on Body Functionality Among Adolescent Girls With an Eating Disorder. Int J Eat Disord. 2025 Jul;58(7):1381-1391. doi: 10.1002/eat.24444. Epub 2025 Apr 26.
PubMed 40285507Alleva JM, Martijn C, Van Breukelen GJ, Jansen A, Karos K. Expand Your Horizon: A programme that improves body image and reduces self-objectification by training women to focus on body functionality. Body Image. 2015 Sep;15:81-9. doi: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2015.07.001. Epub 2015 Aug 14.
PubMed 26280376
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 26 Oct 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Spanish Adaptation and Efficacy Evaluation of Expand Your Horizon: A Writing Intervention to Improve Body Image in University Students
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07894978
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- EYH-Spanish / UABarcelona
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Not yet recruiting
- Enrolment
- 200 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Universitat Autonoma de BarcelonaUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Consorcio Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red (CIBER), Maastricht University, Universitat Internacional de Catalunya
- Study start
- 1 Dec 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion
- May 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion
- May 2027 (estimated)
- First posted
- 26 Oct 2026 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
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.
Detailed description
This study will adapt and evaluate the efficacy of Expand Your Horizon (EYH), a brief writing intervention designed to improve positive body image by encouraging individuals to appreciate their bodies for what they can do rather than focusing primarily on physical appearance. The study will be conducted with university students in Spain and Argentina and will examine the intervention's effects across these two cultural contexts.
The study will comprise two phases. The first phase will involve the linguistic and cultural adaptation of EYH into European Spanish and Argentine Spanish. The adaptation process will include translation, independent back-translation, review by the research and clinical teams, and assessment by an expert panel to ensure semantic and conceptual equivalence, clinical relevance, and cultural appropriateness. The adapted materials will be pilot tested with university students in each country. Feedback on clarity, comprehensibility, acceptability, and cultural appropriateness will be used to refine the final versions.
The second phase will be a two-arm, parallel-group randomized controlled trial. Approximately 200 university students will be recruited, with a target of 100 participants in Spain and 100 in Argentina. Within each country, participants will be randomly allocated in a 1:1 ratio to the EYH intervention or an active control condition consisting of creative writing exercises. Randomization will use block allocation stratified by gender. Both conditions will be delivered online through Qualtrics using comparable formats and schedules. Participants will not be informed which condition represents the intervention or control condition, and data analysts will remain blinded to group allocation during the primary analyses.
EYH consists of three structured reflective writing exercises focused on different domains of body functionality. Participants will reflect on their body's sensory experiences and physical capacities, internal processes and creative activities, and self-care and communication with others. For each exercise, participants will write about the functions their body performs and why these functions are personally meaningful. Participants will be instructed to write continuously for at least 15 minutes and then reread their responses without editing them.
The active control condition will consist of three fictional short-story writing exercises. Participants will select a character, setting, and plot for each exercise and write a story in detail. The control condition is designed to provide a comparable writing experience without the specific focus on body functionality. Participants assigned to the control group will be offered the opportunity to complete EYH after finishing the study assessments.
The intervention will be delivered over approximately five days. The first exercise will take place on Day 1, the second approximately two days later, and the third approximately two days after the second. Participants will complete online assessments at baseline, immediately after the intervention, and one month later. Automated email reminders will be used to support completion of the exercises and assessments.
In addition to evaluating intervention efficacy, the study will investigate potential psychological processes that may help explain changes following EYH. These exploratory analyses will examine body image flexibility, self-compassion, and mentalization as potential mechanisms of change. The study will also explore whether intervention effects differ according to gender and country.
Participants' adherence to the writing exercises and their satisfaction with the intervention will be assessed. Written responses to the EYH exercises will be analyzed qualitatively to explore how participants describe and make sense of their bodies and body functionality. This analysis will be conducted separately for Spain and Argentina and will consider both shared and context-specific themes. Open-ended feedback about participants' experiences of the intervention will also be collected to inform future refinements.
The study will be conducted in accordance with applicable ethical principles. Participation will be voluntary, and informed consent will be obtained before enrolment. Research data will be pseudonymized, with identifying contact information stored separately and deleted after data collection. Pseudonymized study data will be retained for five years after study completion, with access restricted to authorized members of the research team.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Quadruple blind (participant, care provider, investigator, outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
- Model description
- Participants will be randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to one of two parallel groups: (1) the Expand Your Horizon (EYH) intervention, consisting of three reflective writing exercises focused on body functionality; or (2) an active control condition consisting of three creative writing exercises. Participants will remain in their assigned group throughout the study. Outcomes will be assessed at baseline, post-intervention, and one-month follow-up.
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Expand Your Horizon (EYH) | Experimental | Behavioral: Expand Your Horizon (EYH)Participants will complete three structured reflective writing exercises focused on body functionality. The exercises address sensory experiences and physical capacities, internal bodily processes and creative activities, and self-care and communication with others. Participants will reflect on the functions their bodies perform and their personal meaning. Each exercise will involve writing continuously for at least 15 minutes. The intervention will be delivered online through Qualtrics over approximately five days. |
| Creative Writing Control | Active comparator | Behavioral: Creative Writing ControlParticipants 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. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 30 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (3 listed)
- Aged 18-30 years.
- Currently enrolled at a university in Spain or Argentina and residing in the corresponding country.
- Able to read, write, and understand Spanish.
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Individuals who do not meet all the inclusion criteria.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | Behavioural | Expand Your Horizon (EYH) |
| Creative Writing ControlParticipants 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. | Behavioural | Creative Writing Control |
Primary outcome
Functionality Appreciation (Functionality Appreciation Scale (FAS))
Time frame: Baseline (day 1), immediately post-intervention (day 7), and 1-month follow-up.
Functionality appreciation will be assessed using the 7-item Functionality Appreciation Scale (FAS), which measures appreciation of the body for what it can do and is capable of doing. Items are rated on a 5-point scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). The mean item score ranges from 1 to 5, with higher scores indicating greater appreciation of body functionality.
Body Appreciation (Body Appreciation Scale-2 (BAS-2))
Time frame: Baseline (day 1), immediately post-intervention (day 7), and 1-month follow-up.
Body appreciation will be assessed using the 10-item Body Appreciation Scale-2 (BAS-2), which measures body acceptance, respect for and care of one's body, and protection from unrealistic beauty standards. Items are rated on a 5-point scale from 1 (never) to 5 (always). The mean item score ranges from 1 to 5, with higher scores indicating greater body appreciation.
4 secondary outcomes
Body Image Flexibility (Body Image Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-5 (BI-AAQ-5))
Time frame: Baseline (day 1), immediately post-intervention (day 7), and 1-month follow-up.
Self-Compassion (Self-Compassion Scale-Short Form (SCS-SF))
Time frame: Baseline (day 1), immediately post-intervention (day 7), and 1-month follow-up.
Eating Disorder Symptoms (Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q-7))
Time frame: Baseline (day 1), immediately post-intervention (day 7), and 1-month follow-up.
Mentalization (Reflective Functioning Questionnaire (RFQ-8))
Time frame: Baseline (day 1), immediately post-intervention (day 7), and 1-month follow-up.
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 26 Oct 2026.
- Background: PubMed 37023214Ruiz-Parra E, Manzano-Garcia G, Mediavilla R, Rodriguez-Vega B, Lahera G, Moreno-Perez AI, Torres-Cantero AM, Rodado-Martinez J, Bilbao A, Gonzalez-Torres MA. The Spanish version of the reflective functioning questionnaire: Validity data in the general population and individuals with personality disorders. PLoS One. 2023 Apr 6;18(4):e0274378. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0274378. eCollection 2023.
- Background: PubMed 32767481Jenkins PE, Davey E. The brief (seven-item) eating disorder examination-questionnaire: Evaluation of a non-nested version in men and women. Int J Eat Disord. 2020 Nov;53(11):1809-1817. doi: 10.1002/eat.23360. Epub 2020 Aug 6.
- Background: PubMed 21584907Raes F, Pommier E, Neff KD, Van Gucht D. Construction and factorial validation of a short form of the Self-Compassion Scale. Clin Psychol Psychother. 2011 May-Jun;18(3):250-5. doi: 10.1002/cpp.702. Epub 2010 Jun 8.
- Background: PubMed 29704968Basarkod G, Sahdra B, Ciarrochi J. Body Image-Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-5: An Abbreviation Using Genetic Algorithms. Behav Ther. 2018 May;49(3):388-402. doi: 10.1016/j.beth.2017.09.006. Epub 2017 Sep 22.
- Background: PubMed 38664846Zamora A, Desdentado L, Herrero R, Miragall M, Banos R. Psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the functionality appreciation scale. J Eat Disord. 2024 Apr 25;12(1):50. doi: 10.1186/s40337-024-01004-0.
- Background: PubMed 28822275Alleva JM, Tylka TL, Kroon Van Diest AM. The Functionality Appreciation Scale (FAS): Development and psychometric evaluation in U.S. community women and men. Body Image. 2017 Dec;23:28-44. doi: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2017.07.008. Epub 2017 Aug 17.
- Background: PubMed 28551528Swami V, Garcia AA, Barron D. Factor structure and psychometric properties of a Spanish translation of the Body Appreciation Scale-2 (BAS-2). Body Image. 2017 Sep;22:13-17. doi: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2017.05.002. Epub 2017 May 25.
- Background: PubMed 25462882Tylka TL, Wood-Barcalow NL. The Body Appreciation Scale-2: item refinement and psychometric evaluation. Body Image. 2015 Jan;12:53-67. doi: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2014.09.006. Epub 2014 Oct 21.
- Background: PubMed 36608971Alleva JM, Atkinson MJ, Vermeulen W, Monpellier VM, Martijn C. Beyond Body Size: Focusing on Body Functionality to Improve Body Image Among Women Who Have Undergone Bariatric Surgery. Behav Ther. 2023 Jan;54(1):14-28. doi: 10.1016/j.beth.2022.06.007. Epub 2022 Jul 3.
- Background: PubMed 40285507Glashouwer KA, Weiland S, Alleva JM. Expand Your Horizon: Testing a Brief Writing Intervention Focused on Body Functionality Among Adolescent Girls With an Eating Disorder. Int J Eat Disord. 2025 Jul;58(7):1381-1391. doi: 10.1002/eat.24444. Epub 2025 Apr 26.
- Background: PubMed 26280376Alleva JM, Martijn C, Van Breukelen GJ, Jansen A, Karos K. Expand Your Horizon: A programme that improves body image and reduces self-objectification by training women to focus on body functionality. Body Image. 2015 Sep;15:81-9. doi: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2015.07.001. Epub 2015 Aug 14.
- Expand your Horizon WebLink provided by the sponsor.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No. Individual participant data will not be shared with other researchers. Study data will be pseudonymized, and identifying contact information will be stored separately and deleted after data collection. Pseudonymized data will be retained for five years after study completion, with access restricted to authorized members of the research team.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
Estíbaliz Royuela Colomer, Psychology, PHD principal investigator
UNIVERSITAT AUTÒNOMA DE BARCELONA
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Expand Your Horizon (EYH) in people with Body Image and Body Image Dissatisfaction, run by Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona at 1 site in Spain.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 3 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: opening soon, as of the sponsor's last update on 26 Oct 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Spain. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Estíbaliz Royuela Colomer PhD, Psychology (+34 93 586 82 81, estibaliz.royuela@uab.cat), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Functionality Appreciation (Functionality Appreciation Scale (FAS)) (time frame: Baseline (day 1), immediately post-intervention (day 7), and 1-month follow-up.). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT07894978, which also lists 11 linked publications.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 26 Oct 2026.