Impact of Mindful Eating and Movement on University Students' Food and Physical Literacy, and Social-Emotional Competencies

NCT ID: NCT06540898

Last Updated: 2025-05-15

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: RECRUITING
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 144 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2024-09-18
• Study Completion Date: 2029-08-31

Brief Summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to investigate if the mindful eating and movement program can improve food literacy, physical literacy, and social-emotional competencies in university students aged 18-25 years. The main questions it aims to answer are:

1. Will the mindful eating and movement program lead to significant improvements in food literacy?

2. Will the mindful eating and movement program enhance physical literacy?

3. Will the mindful eating and movement program improve social-emotional competencies?

Researchers will compare an intervention group receiving the combined mindful practices with a control group participating in standard physical education to see if the intervention group shows greater improvements in these areas.

Participants will:

Engage in mindful eating exercises during the break of physical education classes for 10 minutes.

Participate in mindful movement exercises before each physical education class end for 10 minutes, in pairs or in groups.

Complete baseline, immediately post-intervention (8 weeks), and one month post-intervention (4 weeks after) assessments to measure changes in food literacy, physical literacy, and social-emotional competencies.

Conditions

Healthy

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: PREVENTION
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

Experimental Group

Participants in this arm engage in an 8-week program that integrates mindful eating and mindful movement practices into their regular physical education classes. Each class includes a 10-minute mindful eating practice focused on enhancing awareness of hunger and fullness cues, sensory experiences of food, and emotional responses to eating. Following this, the final 10 minutes of each class are dedicated to mindful movement exercises, which combine physical postures and movement with mindfulness techniques to promote food literacy, physical literacy and social emotional competencies.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Mindfulness-Based Eating and Movement Program

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

This intervention integrates mindful eating practices and mindful movement into physical education classes for a duration of 8 weeks.

Each session begins with a 10-minute mindful eating practice designed to enhance participants; awareness of hunger and fullness cues, the sensory experience of eating, and their emotional responses to food. The program is to address food literacy, physical literacy, and social-emotional learning. It applied the principles of various established mindfulness and cognitive behavioral therapies and the book "The Joy of Half a Cookie: Using Mindfulness to Lose Weight and End the Struggle with Food" . It is grounded in the components of Mindfulness-Based Eating Awareness Training. The movement practices include basic poses in pairs and groups, and breath awareness techniques to facilitate a mindful connection with physical sensations and mental states.

Control Group

Standard Physical Education Participants in this arm continue with their regular physical education classes as usual, without the integration of any mindfulness practices. This control arm involves the standard activities and curriculum designed for physical education classes at the university, which may include a variety of physical exercises, sports, and theoretical instruction related to health and fitness.

Group Type: NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

Mindfulness-Based Eating and Movement Program

This intervention integrates mindful eating practices and mindful movement into physical education classes for a duration of 8 weeks.

Each session begins with a 10-minute mindful eating practice designed to enhance participants; awareness of hunger and fullness cues, the sensory experience of eating, and their emotional responses to food. The program is to address food literacy, physical literacy, and social-emotional learning. It applied the principles of various established mindfulness and cognitive behavioral therapies and the book "The Joy of Half a Cookie: Using Mindfulness to Lose Weight and End the Struggle with Food" . It is grounded in the components of Mindfulness-Based Eating Awareness Training. The movement practices include basic poses in pairs and groups, and breath awareness techniques to facilitate a mindful connection with physical sensations and mental states.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

1. University undergraduate students aged 18 to 25 years old who are not pregnant;

2. Chinese-speaking adults;

3. Willing to sign the consent form;

4. Willing to attend mindful practice regularly;

5. No prior experience with formal mindfulness practices such as mindful eating or mindful movement.

Exclusion Criteria

1. Not university undergraduate students;

2. Below 18 years old or above 25;

3. Non-Chinese speaking adults;

4. Unable or refuse to sign the consent form;

5. Refuse to attend mindful practice regularly;

6. History of eating disorders;

7. Severe mental health disorders requiring ongoing treatment;

8. Physical conditions limiting participation in physical activities.

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 25 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

University of Macau

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Siman Lei

Assistant Professor

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

SiMan LEI, Doctoral

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of Macau

Locations

UM Sports Complex (N8) , Avenida da Universidade Taipa, Macau, China

Macao, , Macau

Site Status: RECRUITING

University of Macau

Macao, , Macau

Site Status: RECRUITING

Countries

Macau

Central Contacts

ManCheng LEI, Master

Role: CONTACT

vivianalei71@gmail.com

+853 66878381

SiMan LEI, Doctoral

Role: CONTACT

alicelei@um.edu.mo

Facility Contacts

Si Man Lei

Role: primary

alicelei@umac.mo

853 88228720

Si Man LEI, Doctoral

Role: primary

alicelei@um.edu.mo

+853 8822 8720

Other Identifiers

HE-0138-2024

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id