A STUDY TO ASSESS THE EFFECTIVENESS OF A STRUCTURED TEACHING PROGRAMME ON EATING DISORDERS AMONG ADOLESCENT GIRLS (16-18 YEARS) IN SELECTED COLLEGES OF HYDERABAD, ANDHRA PRADESH.

Background: Eating disorders are a growing concern among adolescents, particularly girls, due to increasing body image dissatisfaction, peer pressure, and media inuence. Conditions such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder can lead to serious physical and psychological consequences. Although 17–27% of Indian adolescents exhibit signs of disordered eating behaviors, awareness and early intervention remain limited. Structured Teaching Programmes (STPs) are emerging as effective tools to improve knowledge and promote preventive health behaviors among youth. Objectives: The study aimed to assess the level of knowledge regarding eating disorders among adolescent girls before and after the intervention, evaluate the effectiveness of a Structured Teaching Programme (STP), compare pre-test and post-test scores, and examine the association between post-test knowledge and selected demographic variables. Methods: A quasi-experimental one-group pre-test–post-test design was adopted, involving 30 adolescent girls aged 16–18 years from two selected junior colleges in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh. Participants were selected using stratied random sampling. A structured questionnaire was administered before and after the STP intervention. Descriptive and inferential statistics, including paired t-tests and chi-square tests, were used for data analysis. Results: The mean knowledge score increased from 15.0 (pre-test) to 24.4 (post-test), showing a statistically signicant improvement (t = 12.639, p < 0.05). Chi-square analysis revealed signicant associations between post-test knowledge scores and variables such as age and source of information, while no signicant associations were found with religion, education, family income, or dietary habits. Conclusion: The Structured Teaching Programme was effective in signicantly enhancing adolescent girls' knowledge regarding eating disorders. It is recommended as a practical intervention to be integrated into college health programs to promote awareness, healthy lifestyle practices, and early identication of disordered eating behaviors.