Mindfulness-Based Emotional Eating Intervention Program

NCT ID: NCT07020403

Last Updated: 2025-06-13

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 15 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2023-05-22
• Study Completion Date: 2023-11-23

Brief Summary

This study aims to develop and evaluate the effectiveness of a mindfulness-based intervention program called the Mindfulness-Based Emotional Eating Reduction (MB-EER) Program. The program is designed to reduce emotional eating behaviors in adults. Participants were randomly assigned to either an intervention group or a control group. The intervention group attended a 7-week online program with weekly sessions that included psychoeducation, mindfulness exercises (such as body scan and breath awareness), experiential activities, and group discussions. Data were collected at three time points: before the intervention, after the 7th week, and at a 3-month follow-up. Emotional eating, mindful eating, and emotional appetite levels were measured. Results showed that the MB-EER program effectively reduced emotional eating and emotional appetite while increasing mindful eating.

Detailed Description

This study aims to develop and evaluate a mindfulness-based intervention program (MB-EER) designed to reduce emotional eating behavior. The program was structured based on needs analyses conducted with experts and individuals with emotional eating experiences.

The MB-EER Program consists of 7 weekly sessions, each lasting approximately 2 hours, conducted online. Each session includes psychoeducational content, mindfulness-based practices (e.g., breath awareness, body scan), experiential activities, and group sharing.

Session Overview:

Focus on How You Eat - Differentiating emotional eating from physical hunger; raisin exercise

Recognizing Autopilot - Emotional triggers and automatic eating behaviors

Attention to Cues - Internal and external stimuli influencing eating behavior

Hunger and Fullness Signals - Awareness of body signals; water-drinking practice

Body Awareness and Self-Compassion - Developing supportive attitudes toward the body

Cultural Beliefs and Eating History - Social rules and learned eating habits

Maintenance and Reflection - Ensuring sustainability of skills, personal awareness

Research Design:

This study used a mixed-methods design, including both the development and experimental evaluation of the program:

Program Development Phase

Experimental Evaluation Phase

Quantitative design:

The experimental phase used a true experimental pre-test-post-test-follow-up control group design. Qualitative data were embedded throughout the process using semi-structured forms.

Participant Selection and Assignment:

Out of 135 initial applicants, Emotional Eating Scale (EES) scores were calculated and converted into Z scores using SPSS, since the scale lacks a clinical cut-off. 91 participants falling within ±2 SD were considered eligible and assessed for exclusion criteria.

8 individuals were excluded due to diagnosed eating disorders (e.g., bulimia, binge eating)

12 were excluded due to chronic conditions affecting appetite regulation (e.g., Hashimoto's, diabetes, thyroid)

2 individuals could not commit to the program

From the remaining 69 eligible participants, 40 were randomly assigned into experimental and control groups (20 each). However, due to dropouts during the process:

15 participants in the experimental group

15 participants in the control group completed the full study process and provided data at all time points.

Implementation:

The MB-EER program was delivered to the experimental group by the lead researcher.

Sessions were held online (Zoom) over 7 weeks, once per week.

The control group received no intervention.

All participants completed measurements at three points:

Pre-test (before the intervention)

Post-test (end of Week 7)

Follow-up test (3 months later)

Data Collection Instruments:

Emotional Eating Scale (EES-30)

Mindful Eating Scale (MES-30)

Emotional Appetite Questionnaire (EAQ-22)

Data Analysis:

Quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS v26.0

Parametric tests were used as normality assumptions were met

Statistical procedures included:

Two-factor mixed ANOVA

Wilks' Lambda multivariate repeated measures (MANOVA)

Bonferroni-adjusted pairwise comparisons

Qualitative data were evaluated using content and descriptive analysis

Findings:

The main hypothesis of the study was that the MB-EER Program is effective in reducing emotional eating and emotional appetite and improving mindful eating. This hypothesis was tested by comparing pre-, post-, and follow-up scores between experimental and control groups.

Conditions

Emotional Eating

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: OTHER
• Blinding Strategy: SINGLE

Study Groups

MB-EER Intervention Group

Participants in this group received the 7-week Mindfulness-Based Emotional Eating Reduction (MB-EER) Program. The intervention was delivered online via Zoom and included weekly 2-hour sessions focusing on mindful eating practices, emotional regulation, and body awareness.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Mindfulness-Based Emotional Eating Reduction Program (MB-EER)

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

The MB-EER program was delivered to participants in the intervention arm over 7 weeks. Each session lasted 2 hours and was conducted weekly via Zoom. Participants attended in small groups, and sessions were led by trained facilitators. The intervention focused on guided mindfulness practices, mindful eating exercises, and group discussions.

Assessment-Only Control Group

Participants in this group received no intervention during the study period. They completed the same assessments at baseline, post-test, and 3-month follow-up as the intervention group.

Group Type: NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

Mindfulness-Based Emotional Eating Reduction Program (MB-EER)

The MB-EER program was delivered to participants in the intervention arm over 7 weeks. Each session lasted 2 hours and was conducted weekly via Zoom. Participants attended in small groups, and sessions were led by trained facilitators. The intervention focused on guided mindfulness practices, mindful eating exercises, and group discussions.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Other Intervention Names

MB-EER

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Adults aged 18 and older

Individuals reporting high levels of emotional eating

Willingness to participate in a 7-week online intervention program

Access to a computer and stable internet connection

Completion of informed consent form

Exclusion Criteria

• Current diagnosis of an eating disorder (e.g., bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder)

Diagnosis of a chronic medical condition that affects appetite (e.g., diabetes, thyroid disorders such as Hashimoto's disease)

Pregnancy

Inability to commit to regular attendance in the 7-week program

Participation in another psychological intervention during the study period

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

Sponsors

tuğba çolak

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

tuğba çolak

ASSOC. PROFESSOR

Responsibility Role: SPONSOR_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Tuğba Seda Çolak Turan

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

tugbacolak@duzce.edu.tr

Locations

Duzce University

Düzce, Center, Turkey (Türkiye)

Countries

Turkey (Türkiye)

Provided Documents

Document Type: Study Protocol and Statistical Analysis Plan

View Document

Document Type: Informed Consent Form

View Document

Related Links

https://osf.io/u3wqk/

Project page for the "Mindfulness-Based Emotional Eating Reduction (MB-EER) Program" including study protocol, data sharing plan, and materials.

Other Identifiers

DU-MBEER-2024

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id