Development, Implementation, and Evaluation of the HADAS Program for the Prevention of Eating Disorders in Adolescent Female Athletes, Coaches, and Families.
The HADAS
A Program for the Prevention of ED in Adolescent Female Athletes, the HADAS: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial Study
2 other identifiers
interventional
236
1 country
1
Brief Summary
Adolescent female athletes in aesthetic sports disciplines (such as rhythmic gymnastics, artistic gymnastics, synchronized swimming, and figure skating) face a complex interaction between general sociocultural beauty pressures and sport-specific aesthetic demands (e.g., the 'slim to win' culture and weight-focused performance expectations). These combined pressures significantly increase their risk of developing body dissatisfaction and eating disorders (EDs). To address these systemic vulnerabilities, the HADAS Program (Habits, Eating, Sports, Adolescents, and Health) was developed as a multi-level, synchronized psychoeducational intervention designed to target the complete "sports triangle": adolescent female athletes, their technical coaches, and their immediate family members. The primary objective of this cluster randomized controlled trial (cluster RCT) is to evaluate the efficacy of the HADAS Program in reducing eating disorder risk (EAT-26) and body image dissatisfaction (BSQ-34) among competitive adolescent female athletes aged 12 to 16 years. Sports clubs are randomly assigned to either the Experimental Group (receiving the HADAS intervention) or a Waitlist Control Group (maintaining standard training). The program includes 5 interactive group sessions for athletes, 4 reflective workshops for coaches, and 2 structured sessions for family members, all supported by cohort-specific workbooks. Outcomes are evaluated across four longitudinal time points: Baseline (T0), Immediate Post-intervention (T1), 6-month Follow-up (T2), and 12-month Follow-up (T3).
Trial Health
Trial Health Score
Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach
participants targeted
Target at P75+ for not_applicable
Started Oct 2026
Typical duration for not_applicable
1 active site
Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.
Trial Relationships
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Study Timeline
Key milestones and dates
First Submitted
Initial submission to the registry
July 28, 2026
CompletedFirst Posted
Study publicly available on registry
August 6, 2026
CompletedStudy Start
First participant enrolled
October 1, 2026
ExpectedPrimary Completion
Last participant's last visit for primary outcome
October 1, 2028
Study Completion
Last participant's last visit for all outcomes
May 1, 2029
August 6, 2026
July 1, 2026
2 years
July 28, 2026
August 1, 2026
Conditions
Keywords
Outcome Measures
Primary Outcomes (2)
Eating Disorder Risk and Symptomatology
Evaluated using the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26; Garner et al., 1982; Spanish validation by Rivas et al., 2010). It assesses eating disorder risk behaviors and attitudes across 26 items. Total scores range from 0 to 78, where higher scores indicate greater eating disorder risk and symptomatology (a worse outcome) . Scores of 20 or higher indicate the presence of significant risk attitudes toward eating.
Baseline (T0), Immediate Post-intervention (T1), 6-month Follow-up (T2), and 12-month Follow-up (T3).
Body Image Dissatisfaction
Evaluated using the Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ-34; Cooper et al., 1987; Spanish validation by Raich et al., 1996). It assesses body dissatisfaction and concern with weight and shape across 34 items. Total scores range from 34 to 204, where higher scores indicate greater body dissatisfaction and psychological distress regarding body image (a worse outcome). Scores are categorized into no dissatisfaction (\<80), mild (80-110), moderate (111-140), and severe (\>140), with moderate and severe categories indicating significant body image vulnerability.
Baseline (T0), Immediate Post-intervention (T1), 6-month Follow-up (T2), and 12-month Follow-up (T3).
Secondary Outcomes (11)
Psychological Well-Being
Baseline (T0), Immediate Post-intervention (T1), 6-month Follow-up (T2), and 12-month Follow-up (T3).
Life Satisfaction
Baseline (T0), Immediate Post-intervention (T1), 6-month Follow-up (T2), and 12-month Follow-up (T3).
Competitive Anxiety
Baseline (T0), Immediate Post-intervention (T1), 6-month Follow-up (T2), and 12-month Follow-up (T3).
Perfectionism in sports
Baseline (T0), Immediate Post-intervention (T1), 6-month Follow-up (T2), and 12-month Follow-up (T3).
Appearance awareness on social networks
Baseline (T0), Immediate Post-intervention (T1), 6-month Follow-up (T2), and 12-month Follow-up (T3).
- +6 more secondary outcomes
Study Arms (2)
Experimental Group (HADAS Program)
EXPERIMENTALSports clubs randomly assigned to receive the multi-level HADAS Program . The intervention is synchronized across three modalities: 5 interactive group sessions (90 min each) for adolescent female athletes, 4 reflective training sessions (90 min each) for technical coaches, and 2 structured psychoeducational workshops (120 min each) for parents/family members
Control Group (Waitlist)
NO INTERVENTIONSports clubs randomly assigned to the control condition maintain their standard active training routines and schedule without any component of the prevention program during the 12-month study window . They will be offered the HADAS intervention after the final longitudinal follow-up (T3)
Interventions
A synchronized, multi-level psychoeducational prevention program designed to target eating disorder risk and body image dissatisfaction across the sports triangle (athletes, coaches, and families). Content focuses on media literacy, healthy life habits, emotional management, deconstructing body-weight myths in aesthetic sports, and promoting autonomy-supportive coaching and family environments
Eligibility Criteria
You may qualify if:
- Athletes: Female gender; aged between 12 and 16 years old; actively possessing a formal federation license in an aesthetic sport discipline (e.g., rhythmic gymnastics, artistic gymnastics, synchronized swimming, figure skating) within Spain; providing signed informed assent concurrently with written informed consent from parents/legal representatives; and presenting no active, formal clinical diagnosis of an eating disorder (ED).
- Coaches: Serving as a primary trainer or technical staff member within the participating sports club; and providing written informed consent.
- Family Members: Operating as the primary parent, guardian, or legal representative of an included athlete; and providing written informed consent.
You may not qualify if:
- Athletes: Presenting a current, formal clinical diagnosis of an eating disorder (e.g., Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, Binge Eating Disorder, or ARFID) at baseline (T0); or refusal to provide informed assent or parental consent.
- Non-compliance or failure to provide signed informed consent from coaches or primary legal guardians.
Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.
Sponsors & Collaborators
Study Sites (1)
Universidad Miguel Hernández de Elche - Department of Behavioral Sciences and Health
Elche, Alicante, 03202, Spain
Related Links
MeSH Terms
Conditions
Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)
Study Officials
- PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
Eva María León Zarceño
Universidad Miguel Hernández de Elche
- PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
Josué López Pozo
Universidad Miguel Hernández de Elche
- PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
Yolanda Quiles Marcos
Universidad Miguel Hernández de Elche
Central Study Contacts
Study Design
- Study Type
- interventional
- Phase
- not applicable
- Allocation
- RANDOMIZED
- Masking
- TRIPLE
- Who Masked
- PARTICIPANT, INVESTIGATOR, OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
- Masking Details
- Allocation sequence generation, baseline data management, outcome assessment, and statistical data processing are strictly conducted by independent researchers who are blinded to experimental assignments.
- Purpose
- PREVENTION
- Intervention Model
- PARALLEL
- Sponsor Type
- OTHER
- Responsible Party
- PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
- PI Title
- Associate Professor / Principal Investigator
Study Record Dates
First Submitted
July 28, 2026
First Posted
August 6, 2026
Study Start (Estimated)
October 1, 2026
Primary Completion (Estimated)
October 1, 2028
Study Completion (Estimated)
May 1, 2029
Last Updated
August 6, 2026
Record last verified: 2026-07
Data Sharing
- IPD Sharing
- Will share
- Shared Documents
- STUDY PROTOCOL, SAP, ICF
- Time Frame
- Data will become available after the primary manuscript publishing the final longitudinal findings is accepted
- Access Criteria
- Individual participant data will not be publicly shared to protect minor participants' confidentiality in compliance with GDPR and local data protection regulations. Aggregate data and protocol materials are available upon request
De-identified individual participant data (IPD) underlying the primary and secondary outcomes will be made available to qualified researchers upon reasonable request submitted to the principal investigator. Data sharing will be subject to ethical review, a formal data-sharing agreement, and strict compliance with European Union GDPR regulations to safeguard minor participants' confidentiality.