Mindfulness-Based Emotional Eating Intervention Program

NCT07020403 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: DU-MBEER-2024
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 15
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

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.

Conditions

Emotional Eating

Keywords

Emotional Eating; Mindfulness; Emotional Appetite; Mindful Eating

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (3)

• Change in Emotional Eating Score (EES-30) from Baseline to Follow-up

  The scale developed by Bilgen (2018) was adapted to reveal the relationship between emotions and eating. The scale consists of 4 sub-dimensions (Eating in Tense Situations, Eating to Cope with Negative Emotions, Self-Control, and Control in the Face of Stimuli). The scale is scored on a 5-point Likert scale, and the items consist of "Never (1)", "Rarely (2)", Sometimes (3)", 'Often (4)' and 'Always (5)' options. Both the sub-dimensions and the whole scale give a total score, and it is concluded that the higher the score obtained from the scale, the higher the emotional eating tendencies. The highest score that can be obtained from the scale is 150, and the lowest score is 30. The scale has a total of 30 items and three reverse-coded items. The Cronbach's Alpha internal consistency coefficient of the scale for this study was calculated as .92.

  Change from Baseline (Week 0) to Post-test (Week 7) and Follow-up (Week 12)

• Mindful eating questionnaire (MEQ-30)

  The Mindful Eating Questionnaire (MEQ) is a 30-item self-report scale adapted to Turkish by Köse et al. (2016). It includes seven subscales: Disinhibition, Emotional Eating, Eating Control, Focusing, Eating Discipline, Mindfulness, and Interference. Items are rated on a 5-point Likert scale (1 = Never, 5 = Always). Higher scores indicate greater mindful eating. Twenty items are reverse-coded. Cronbach's alpha = .72.

  Change from Baseline (Week 0) to Post-test (Week 7) and Follow-up (Week 12)

• Emotional appetite questionnaire (EAQ-22)

  The Emotional Appetite Questionnaire (EAQ-22), validated in Turkish by Demirel et al. (2014), is a 22-item self-report scale assessing appetite changes in response to emotional states and situations. Items are rated from 1 to 9: 1-4 = less appetite, 5 = no change, 6-9 = more appetite. Subscales include emotions (14 items) and situations (8 items), each split into positive and negative categories. Higher scores indicate greater emotional appetite. Cronbach's alpha = .71.

  Change from Baseline (Week 0) to Post-test (Week 7) and Follow-up (Week 12)

Study Arms (2)

MB-EER Intervention Group

EXPERIMENTAL

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.

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

Assessment-Only Control Group

NO INTERVENTION

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.

Interventions

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

Also known as: MB-EER

MB-EER Intervention Group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• 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

You may not qualify if:

• 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

Sponsors & Collaborators

• tuğba çolak: lead

Study Sites (1)

Duzce University

Düzce, Center, 81620, Turkey (Türkiye)

Location

Related Links

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

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Emotional Eating

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Feeding Behavior; Behavior

Study Officials

• Tuğba Seda Çolak Turan

  tugbacolak@duzce.edu.tr

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT
• Masking Details: Only participants were blinded to their group assignment. The investigator and outcomes assessor were aware of group allocations.
• Purpose: OTHER
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: ASSOC. PROFESSOR

Model Details: This study was conducted using a parallel-group experimental design with random assignment. Participants were divided into an intervention group and a control group. The intervention group received a 7-week Mindfulness-Based Emotional Eating Reduction (MB-EER) Program, while the control group received no intervention. Assessments were conducted at pre-test, post-test, and 3-month follow-up.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: May 9, 2025
• First Posted: June 13, 2025
• Study Start: May 22, 2023
• Primary Completion: August 22, 2023
• Study Completion: November 23, 2023
• Last Updated: June 13, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-06

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will share
• Shared Documents: SAP, CSR
• Time Frame: Individual participant data (IPD) has been available since December 8, 2024, and will remain available until December 8, 2029.
• Access Criteria: Qualified researchers who provide a methodologically sound proposal will be granted access to the deidentified individual participant data (IPD). Data includes scores from the Emotional Eating Scale (EES-30), Mindful Eating Scale (MES-30), and Emotional Appetite Questionnaire (EAQ-22) at baseline, post-test, and follow-up. Requests should be submitted via the Open Science Framework (https://osf.io/yk3mp/) platform. Access will be granted for research purposes only and in compliance with data use agreements.

Locations

TU (1)