OBESE ADOLESCENT FEMALES RESPONSE TO A MINDFUL EATING INTERVENTION

Purpose: With adolescent obesity tripling over the last three decades, the purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a mindful eating as an anti-obesity intervention for obese female adolescents. Aims were to determine:  1. the effect of a mindful eating intervention compared to usual care of nutrition and physical activity information on BMI, 2. if the effect of a mindful eating intervention on BMI of obese female adolescents is sustained over time.

Background: Adolescent obesity is associated with an 80 percent risk of adult obesity, hypertension and diabetes.  Left unchecked, this trend is anticipated to decrease U.S. life expectancy. Current adolescent obesity medical recommendations include bariatric surgery and appetite suppressants which lower BMI, but present serious health risks.  Nutrition and exercise interventions promote health, however, meta-analyses reveal do not lower BMI.   Practicing the behavioral skill of mindful eating (slow intentional eating focused on satiety) has potential for lowering BMI while promoting health. The Information, Motivation and Behavioral Skills (IMB) Theory with its crux concept purporting practicing a behavioral skill facilitates health behavior change, framed this study.

Methods: The study was conducted using a two-group, quasi-experimental, repeated measures design.  Participants were recruited during school registration at an information booth set up by the PI. A total of 37 participants met the inclusion criteria of non-pregnant females, ages 14-19, with a BMI >90th percentile. Consenting participants were assigned to either an intervention group receiving a 6 week mindful eating intervention or a comparison group receiving the usual care of nutrition and physical activity information. Participants’ BMI was measured at baseline, immediately post intervention and at 4 week follow up. Data were analyzed utilizing SPSS version 22.  A repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to compare the outcome variable of BMI

Results:   No statistically significant differences were found in age, education level, BMI or motivation at baseline between the intervention and comparison groups of students attending the same public high school in a southwest Arizona Latino community.  The mindful eating experimental group sustained a lower BMI over six weeks which continued to decline at the 4 week post-intervention follow up. ANOVA results demonstrated a statistically significant difference in BMI between the experimental and comparison groups F(1,2)=22.24, p<.001 at 6 weeks; F (2,14)=9.24, p<.05  at 10 weeks. On average, the experimental group’s BMI decreased 0.71, whereas the comparison group’s BMI increased by 1.1.

Implications: This study demonstrates the feasibility and effectiveness of a mindful eating intervention in lowering BMI, holding great promise for combatting obesity in adolescents without utilizing costly pharmaceuticals or surgery. The value of applying the intervention in the school environment reduces barriers to participation. Nurses having backgrounds in both nutrition and health behavior theory, are uniquely qualified to teach mindful eating. Future study should include a school based intervention with a larger more diverse sample.