Dataset Information

Proof-of-concept testing of a mobile application-delivered mindfulness exercise for emotional eaters: RAIN delivered as a step-by-step image sequence.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Over fifty percent of individuals with overweight and obesity are emotional eaters. Emotional eating can be theorized as a conditioned response to eat for reasons that are not associated with physiological hunger. We conducted this proof-of-concept study to gather evidence that a mobile app that delivers a common non-meditative mindfulness exercise called RAIN, in a step-by-step image sequence can improve emotional eating and other outcomes over a 3-week period.

Methods

Forty-nine Canadian adults who self reported as emotional eaters (mean age =30.7 years) were recruited through social media and participated in a workshop in which RAIN and its use on the app were introduced. Participants were asked to use the app every time that they experienced a non-homeostatic craving to eat for three weeks. Emotional eating, reactivity to food cravings, perceived loss of control around food, distress tolerance, and eating-specific mindfulness were assessed pre- and post-intervention.

Results

Improvements on all outcomes were found (r-range, -0.58 to -0.28). The feasibility of the mobile application was demonstrated by a low attrition rate (8%), high user satisfaction, and strong app engagement metrics.

Conclusions

The data provide proof-of-concept evidence that a mobile app that delivers a mindfulness exercise in a step-by-step image sequence has potential to be effective and thus identifies a new approach that may reduce emotional eating in an accessible and affordable manner.

SUBMITTER: Carriere K

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11304094 | biostudies-literature | 2024

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Proof-of-concept testing of a mobile application-delivered mindfulness exercise for emotional eaters: RAIN delivered as a step-by-step image sequence.

Carrière Kimberly K Siemers Nellie N Thapar Serena S Knäuper Bärbel B

mHealth 20240603

<h4>Background</h4>Over fifty percent of individuals with overweight and obesity are emotional eaters. Emotional eating can be theorized as a conditioned response to eat for reasons that are not associated with physiological hunger. We conducted this proof-of-concept study to gather evidence that a mobile app that delivers a common non-meditative mindfulness exercise called RAIN, in a step-by-step image sequence can improve emotional eating and other outcomes over a 3-week period.<h4>Methods</h4 ...[more]

PMID: 39114459

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Dataset Information

Proof-of-concept testing of a mobile application-delivered mindfulness exercise for emotional eaters: RAIN delivered as a step-by-step image sequence.

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Publications

Proof-of-concept testing of a mobile application-delivered mindfulness exercise for emotional eaters: RAIN delivered as a step-by-step image sequence.

Similar Datasets

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