The interplay between interoceptive sensibility and mindfulness in eating behaviors and psychological distress: A person-centered study in a French community sample
Léa Marinelli, Sylvie Berthoz, G. Décamps, L. Bourdier, M. Fatseas, Cécile Dantzer
Journal of Psychiatric Research September 3, 2026 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2026.09.001 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cross-sectional survey Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 381 |
| Population | French community sample of adults (non-clinical population) |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Higher mindfulness was consistently associated with more adaptive eating patterns and lower psychological distress across profiles, regardless of interoceptive sensibility. Among profiles with lower mindfulness, higher interoceptive sensibility was associated with lower depressive symptoms, lower eating disorder risk, and normal-weight status. |
Abstract
This study examined interoception and mindfulness as related processes in eating behaviors in a non-clinical population. The aim was to identify interoceptive sensibility and mindfulness clusters using a person-centered approach and to examine their associations with eating behaviors, eating disorder risk, body mass index, and psychological distress. An online survey was conducted in a French community sample of 381 adults. Participants completed validated self-report measures assessing interoceptive sensibility, mindfulness, eating behaviors, and psychological distress. Cluster analysis identified four distinct groups reflecting different combinations of interoceptive sensibility and mindfulness. Profiles characterized by higher mindfulness consistently showed more adaptive eating patterns, including lower emotional and external eating and greater reliance on internal cues, regardless of interoceptive levels. In contrast, clusters with lower mindfulness showed higher levels of emotional eating and psychological distress. Within these low mindfulness profiles, high interoception was associated with lower depressive symptoms, lower eating disorder risk, and normal-weight status. These findings suggest that mindfulness was consistently associated with adaptive eating and psychological outcomes across profiles, whereas interoceptive sensibility further differentiated outcomes among profiles characterized by lower mindfulness. Overall, the results highlight the importance of considering both interoceptive sensibility and mindfulness jointly to better understand variability in eating behaviors and psychological distress.
Comparable studies
Other cross-sectional and survey studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construct Validity of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire in Meditating and Nonmeditating Samples Experienced meditators and nonmeditating comparison groups | 2008 | Cross-sectional study | |
| Neural Correlates of Dispositional Mindfulness During Affect Labeling Adult participants | 2007 | Observational cross-sectional | n = 27 |
| Assessing mindfulness in children and adolescents: Development and validation of the Child and Adolescent Mindfulness Measure (CAMM). School-aged children and adolescents | 2011 | Cross-sectional validation study | n = 1,413 |
| Mindfulness and self-compassion as predictors of psychological wellbeing in long-term meditators and matched nonmeditators Experienced meditators and demographically matched nonmeditators | 2012 | Cross-sectional study | n = 152 |
| Mechanisms of Action in the Inverse Relationship Between Mindfulness and Psychological Distress Undergraduates | 2008 | Cross-sectional, correlational |
Citations in the library
Cites 8
- Interoception, contemplative practice, and health Frontiers in Psychology June 9, 2015
- Mindfulness, Interoception, and the Body: A Contemporary Perspective Frontiers in Psychology September 13, 2019
- Differential sensitivity of mindfulness questionnaires to change with treatment: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychological Assessment August 1, 2019
- Holding the Body in Mind: Interoceptive Awareness, Dispositional Mindfulness and Psychological Well-Being Journal of Psychosomatic Research May 18, 2017
- Mechanisms of Mindfulness Training: Monitor and Acceptance Theory (MAT) Clinical Psychology Review November 5, 2016
and 3 more in the library