Impact of an education intervention focusing on comprehensive mindful eating and chewing habits on daily eating practices: A mobile tool-based randomized controlled trial

Background

Mindful eating (ME) emphasizes full awareness of food consumption, incorporating the practice of eating slowly. Traditional interventions targeting slower eating rates often concentrate on chewing behavior, leaving the impact of ME largely unexplored. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the ME program in improving eating rates and mindful eating compared to conventional education centered solely on chewing.

Methods

A total of 66 women university students were randomly assigned to either the ME (n = 33) or chewing intervention groups (n = 33). Education programs were delivered via smartphones over 8 weeks, with bi-weekly sessions where participants watched videos individually. The primary outcome was the eating rate, while the secondary outcome were eating style and the Mindful Eating Questionnaire (MEQ) assessed through web-based questionnaires. Measurements were taken pre-intervention, post-intervention, and at 1 and 3 months follow-up. Statistical analysis was conducted using intention-to-treat analysis.

Results

Both the ME and chewing groups showed slower eating rates compared to baseline, indicating the effect's temporal persistence, with no significant differences found between them at the end of the intervention and at 1 and 3 months post-intervention. In addition, the ME group significantly increased the MEQ scores compared to the chewing group.

Conclusion

The educational program using ME reduced the rate of eating and achieved results similar to those of programs focused solely on chewing. Furthermore, it was effective in increasing MEQ scores. Based on these findings, a comprehensive education program that focuses on ME is recommended.