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Promoting a Healthy Lifestyle through Mindfulness in University Students: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Encarnación Soriano-Ayala, Alberto Amutio, Clemente Franco, Israel Mañas

Nutrients August 14, 2020 DOI: 10.3390/nu12082450 (opens in new tab)

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Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed
Sample size 51
Population University students in Spain
Intervention Flow meditation (Meditación-Fluir)
Duration Seven-week treatment
Topics Meditation
Keywords Humans Feeding behavior Emotions Sex characteristics Eating Universities Health promotion Spain Female Young adult Healthy lifestyle Food addiction Diet, healthy Controlled trial University students Life habits Flow meditation
Key findings Compared with a waiting list control group, students who completed the seven-week flow meditation program showed improvements across all outcome measures, including healthy eating habits, tobacco, alcohol, and cannabis consumption, and resting habits. Differences appeared between males and females, with a larger treatment effect in females in the experimental group than in males.

Abstract

The present study explored the effects of a second-generation mindfulness-based intervention known as flow meditation (Meditación-Fluir) in the improvement of healthy life behaviors. A sample of university students (n = 51) in Spain were randomly assigned to a seven-week mindfulness treatment or a waiting list control group. Results showed that compared to the control group, individuals in the mindfulness group demonstrated significant improvements across all outcome measures including healthy eating habits (balanced diet, intake rate, snacking between meals, decrease in consumption by negative emotional states, increased consumption by negative emotional states, amount of consumption, meal times, consumption of low-fat products), tobacco, alcohol, and cannabis consumption, and resting habits. There were differences between males and females in some of these variables and a better effect of the treatment was evident in the females of the experimental group when compared to the males. The flow meditation program shows promise for fostering a healthy lifestyle, thus decreasing behaviors related to maladaptive eating, tobacco, alcohol, and cannabis consumption as well as negative rest habits in university students. This mindfulness program could significantly contribute to the treatment of eating disorders and addictions, wherein negative emotional states and impulsivity are central features of the condition.

Comparable studies

Other randomized controlled trials on meditation, most cited first.

Study Year Design Participants
Alterations in Brain and Immune Function Produced by Mindfulness Meditation Healthy employees in a work environment 2003 Randomized controlled trial n = 41
Prevention of relapse/recurrence in major depression by mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Recovered recurrently depressed patients 2000 Randomized controlled trial n = 145
Open hearts build lives: Positive emotions, induced through loving-kindness meditation, build consequential personal resources. Working adults 2008 Randomized controlled trial n = 139
Short-term meditation training improves attention and self-regulation Undergraduate Chinese students 2007 Randomized controlled trial n = 40
Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: Replication and Exploration of Differential Relapse Prevention Effects. Recovered recurrently depressed patients 2004 Randomized controlled trial n = 73

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