Depressive symptoms mediate the relationship between dispositional mindfulness and dietary quality on weekends but not weekdays among pregnant individuals with pre-pregnancy BMI≥25.
Shannon D Donofry, Sydney T Damon, Riley J Jouppi, Jessica A Davis, Rachel P Kolko Conlon, Christine C Call, Michele D Levine
Appetite March 18, 2026 DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2026.108545 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional analysis of baseline data from a perinatal lifestyle intervention trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 308 |
| Population | Pregnant individuals with pre-pregnancy body mass index ≥25, mean age 31.0 years, mean pre-pregnancy BMI 32.8 kg/m2, mean gestation 13.6 weeks |
| Measures | Healthy Eating Index (HEI)-2020, Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS), Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) |
| Topics | Depression Meditation |
| Keywords | Humans Body mass index Feeding behavior Pregnancy Female Young adult Diet, healthy Dietary quality |
| Key findings | Higher dispositional mindfulness predicted higher weekend dietary quality (β = 0.13) but not weekday or average dietary quality. The association between mindfulness and weekend diet appeared to be mediated by lower depressive symptoms (average causal mediation effect = 0.747, 95% BootCI 0.07–1.53). |
Abstract
Background: Poor dietary quality and weekday-weekend differences in eating patterns during pregnancy link to adverse outcomes. Mindfulness, a practice of non-judgmental awareness of present experience, associates with higher dietary quality, potentially through reduced depressive symptoms. This study examined whether dispositional mindfulness relates to dietary quality in pregnant individuals with pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI)≥25, and whether depressive symptoms mediate this relationship.
Methods: Participants (N = 308; Mage±SD = 31.02 ± 4.9 years; MBMI±SD = 32.8 ± 6.07 kg/m2; Mweeks gestation±SD = 13.6 ± 2.7 weeks) from a perinatal lifestyle intervention trial self-reported mindfulness (Mindful Attention Awareness Scale [MAAS]) and depressive symptoms (Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale [EPDS]) at baseline. The Healthy Eating Index (HEI)-2020 was derived from a dietary recall on one weekday and one weekend day. MAAS and EPDS effects on HEI scores were analyzed in three separate models (HEI weekday, weekend, and average) using R's mediation package with bias-corrected bootstrapped confidence intervals (BootCI; k = 1000). Models covaried for age, weeks of gestation, racial identity, education, income, and pre-pregnancy BMI.
Results: HEI scores were higher on weekdays than weekends (t(307) = 2.48, p = .01; Mweekday = 47.14 ± 14.34; Mweekend = 44.8 ± 13.05). Higher MAAS scores predicted higher weekend (β = 0.13, p = .02) but not weekday (β = 0.01, p = .84) or average (β = 0.07, p = .20) HEI scores. Higher MAAS scores associated with higher weekend HEI scores through lower EPDS scores (average causal mediation effect = 0.747, BootCI = 0.07-1.53, p = .04).
Conclusions: Findings suggest dispositional mindfulness relates to weekend dietary quality among pregnant individuals with pre-pregnancy BMI≥25 and may help maintain dietary patterns through lowered depressive symptoms.
Comparable studies
Other non-randomized and open-label trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in Relation to Quality of Life, Mood, Symptoms of Stress, and Immune Parameters in Breast and Prostate Cancer Outpatients Early-stage breast and prostate cancer patients | 2003 | Pre-post intervention study | n = 59 |
| Exploring self‐compassion and empathy in the context of mindfulness‐based stress reduction (MBSR) Community sample | 2010 | Pre-post intervention study | |
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Lowers Psychological Distress In Medical Students Second-year medical students | 2003 | Prospective nonrandomized cohort-controlled study | n = 302 |
| Intensive meditation training, immune cell telomerase activity, and psychological mediators. Retreat participants and matched controls | 2011 | Controlled trial with wait-list control group | n = 60 |
| The Effectiveness of Mindfulness Training for Children with ADHD and Mindful Parenting for their Parents Children aged 8-12 with ADHD and their parents | 2011 | Within-group waitlist controlled trial | n = 22 |
Citations in the library
Cites 23
- The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2003
- Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2004
- Effects of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Intervention on Psychological Well-being and Quality of Life: Is Increased Mindfulness Indeed the Mechanism? Annals of Behavioral Medicine June 1, 2008
- Effects of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy on Body Awareness in Patients with Chronic Pain and Comorbid Depression Frontiers in Psychology June 30, 2016
- The Effect of Mindfulness-based Programs on Cognitive Function in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis Neuropsychology Review August 4, 2021
and 18 more in the library