Inhibitory control training to reduce appetitive behaviour: a meta-analytic investigation of effectiveness, potential moderators, and underlying mechanisms of change.

Background/aims: Inhibitory control training (ICT) is a cognitive intervention that has been suggested to reduce problematic appetitive behaviours, such as unhealthy eating and excessive alcohol consumption. We conducted a meta-analytic review of ICT for reducing appetitive behaviours.

Methods: Two meta-analyses were conducted for behavioural (objective) outcomes and self-report outcomes, along with 14 moderator analyses, and two secondary analyses investigating changes in cue-devaluation and inhibitory control.

Results: The review included 46 articles (67 effect sizes and 4231 participants) and four appetitive health behaviours (eating, drinking, smoking, gambling). A significant effect of ICT on behavioural outcomes was found (SMD = 0.241, p .001). The self-report outcomes meta-analysis was not significant (p > .05). Secondary analyses also demonstrated greater inhibitory control (p < .05) and cue devaluation (p < .05) following ICT.

Conclusions: This meta-analytic review is the largest synthesis of ICT interventions for appetitive behaviours. ICT significantly reduced problematic eating behaviours when adopting behavioural outcomes, but this was not found for other appetitive behaviours. ICT also significantly improved inhibitory control and reduced cue evaluations. Further studies are required before drawing any conclusions regarding impacts on other appetitive behaviours.