Loughborough University
Leicestershire, UK
LE11 3TU
+44 (0)1509 263171

School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences

Research Participation:

Experiences of family mealtimes and anorexia nervosa

Family mealtimes within the context of eating disorders are recognised to be stressful and emotional situations for all involved. This study aims to generate knowledge about mealtime experiences to translate into advice for families. In particular, we are interested in how family members feel about and attempt to manage mealtimes within the home. This research will enable us to identify helpful and unhelpful strategies and interactions, and to pass these findings on to families who may benefit from the recommendations generated as a result of this research.

What does the study involve?
Taking part in the study involves participating in an interview to discuss your views and experiences of family mealtimes within the context of adolescent anorexia nervosa and the ways in which mealtimes are, or were, managed in the home. The interview should take no more than one hour. Interview location, date and time will be arranged with the researcher to suit you. Based on where you live, a telephone interview may be possible. A contribution towards travel costs will be given to each participant who has to travel to the interview location.

Who can take part?
We are looking for:

Parents/caregivers of an adolescent/young person (aged 13-21 years) currently receiving treatment for anorexia nervosa.
Parents/caregivers of an adolescent/young person who previously received treatment for anorexia nervosa, within the last two years, when aged between 13 and 21 years.
Young people (aged 13-21 years) who are currently receiving outpatient treatment for anorexia nervosa and who are living with their family.
Young people who have previously received treatment for anorexia nervosa when aged between 13 and 21 years and who lived with their family during treatment.

Participants must be aged between 13 and 65 years. For participants below the age of 18 years, parental consent will need to be sought before participation. Participants should speak English fluently.

What should I do if I want to take part or want further information?
If you are interesting in participating in this study, or would like some additional information about this study, please email Hannah Ward (H.J.Ward@lboro.ac.uk) or Amanda Davey (A.Davey-07@alumni.lboro.ac.uk).

Participants required for a study looking at current food choices and children’s eating behaviours.

Zoe Palfreyman, a Ph.D student at Loughborough University, working with Dr. Emma Haycraft and Dr. Caroline Meyer, is currently conducting research into the development of children’s eating behaviours and parental influences. As part of the on-going research a new questionnaire is being piloted, which has been designed to explore aspects of participant recollection from childhood of parental eating and feeding behaviours, and how they relate to the current food choices and attitudes of the participants. It's hoped that from this research a greater understanding of the development of children’s diets will be gained, as well as, providing further information and support for parents.

Who can take part?
Male and female participants aged between 16 and 25 years can take part in this research by completing the newly developed questionnaire and a few other questionnaires looking at eating behaviours.

So if you have the time, please help!

How to take part?
To begin the survey, please either click on the link below or copy and paste the link into your web browser

https://www.survey.lboro.ac.uk/current-eating-behaviours

Thank you very much in advance for your time in reading and hopefully taking part in this research. If you have any questions about the research or findings, or would prefer to fill in a paper version of these questionnaires please feel free to contact Zoe using the email address below.

Zoe Palfreyman z.v.palfreyman@lboro.ac.uk

Participants required for a study looking at fathers/male caregivers and children’s eating behaviours.

Zoe Palfreyman, a Ph.D student at Loughborough University, working with Dr. Emma Haycraft and Dr. Caroline Meyer, is currently conducting research into the development of children’s eating behaviours and parental influences. As part of the on-going research a new questionnaire is being piloted, which has been designed to look at parent-child interactions with regards to healthy eating behaviours and food choices. It's hoped that from this research a greater understanding of factors within a child's diet which can be/ cannot be influenced by parents will be gained, as well as, being able to provide greater support for parents.

The importance of fathers/male caregivers in the development of children’s eating behaviours is often over looked, both in the research arena and in general but recent research has suggested they play a significant role. It is anticipated that this study will highlight the importance of fathers in relation to children’s eating.

Who can take part?
Fathers of children aged between 18 months and 8 years can take part in this research by completing the newly developed questionnaire and a few other questionnaires looking at eating and feeding behaviours.

So if you have the time, please help!

How to take part?
To begin the survey, please either click on the link below or copy and paste the link into your web browser

https://www.survey.lboro.ac.uk/fathers

Zoe Palfreyman z.v.palfreyman@lboro.ac.uk

Volunteers required for a study investigating individual differences in attention to different word categories

Ceri Wilson, a PhD student at Loughborough University, under the supervision of Dr Deborah Wallis and Dr Caroline Meyer, is investigating attentional processing of different word categories in female students. Research has found that certain individual difference variables, such as those associated with mood and eating behaviours, lead to differences in attentional processing. The current research hopes to further our understanding of the factors that might be associated with these differences. Participation in the current study will involve the completion of a few questionnaires regarding mood and eating variables and a short computer-based task assessing attention to different words. It is anticipated that this research will lead to improved methods of assessing attentional processing and will also provide insight into the attentional biases that are associated with different eating behaviours. Ultimately, this body of work aims to inform future methods of treatment of the attentional processing biases that might be associated with disordered eating behaviours.

If you are interested in participating in the study or would like more information about the project, please email Ceri on C.Wilson@lboro.ac.uk

Volunteers required for a study into exercise and eating disorders

Vaithehy Shanmugam, a PhD student at Loughborough University, under the joint supervision of Dr Sophia Jowett of the School of Sport and Exercise and Health Sciences and Dr Caroline Meyer of the Loughborough Centre for Research into Eating Disorders is examining the prevalence of eating disorders among British athletes and exploring the interpersonal and intrapersonal factors that cause their onset and maintenance.

In recent years, there have been a number of high-level athletes disclosing that they endured an eating disorder during their athletic career (i.e., Paul Gascoigne, David Coulthard, Nadia Comaneci, Kimiko Hirai Soldati), but, they were only able to divulge such information after their sporting career had ceased. However, there are plenty more athletes that are currently in participation and are suffering the uncomfortable effects of eating disorders in silence. Drawing from previous studies outside the UK, there is evidence to suggest that at least 30% of athletes (males and females) are suffering from a clinical eating disorder and that 62% suffer from disordered eating. It has been further noted that athletes that participate in aesthetic sports, weight-related sports and endurance sports are at greater risk than their other athletic counterparts.

This research programme aims to untangle the complex multi-factorial host of contextual, psychosocial and familial factors in an attempt to understand the phenomenon of eating disorders in sport, fully and more accurately. This research will involve a simple athlete questionnaire to assess the prevalence of eating disorders and potential factors that trigger the onset of eating disorders and has been approved by the University Ethical Committee. The aim is to involve a large number of British male and female athletes, who participate in at the elite, developmental and recreational level. The participation of each and every athlete will be making a valuable, sizeable, and much appreciated contribution to understanding the true prevalence of eating disorders and the factors that elicit them. It is anticipated that the final findings of this research will have significant value for the athletes themselves, their coaches and coaching and for achieving sport excellence as well as their National Governing Body. Knowledge about the true prevalence of eating disorders and the interpersonal factors that elicit them can form the basis for prevention, diagnosis and treatment.

If you are interested in participating in the study or would like more information about the project, please contact Vaithehy via email on V.Shanmugam@lboro.ac.uk or via telephone on 0782555808.

Vaithehy Shanmugam	Dr Sophia Jowett	Dr Caroline Meyer
PhD student	Senior Lecturer	Director of LUCRED