Mindful Bites: Eating in the Present Moment. A Study Within the PNRR 10 ON FOODS PARTNERSHIP

This study investigates the short-term effects of a two-week app-based mindful eating intervention delivered through MyPocketHealth. The intervention is designed to promote greater awareness of eating experiences, including sensory perception, emotional states, and behavioral patterns related to food consumption. Participants receive daily training exercises and short audio modules tailored to the principles of mindfulness applied to eating.

Throughout the 14-day program, participants complete daily momentary assessments assessing mood, attention, and eating-related awareness. Additional pre- and post-intervention questionnaires evaluate psychological well-being (WHO-5), cognitive failures (CFQ), eating behavior styles (DEBQ), and mindful eating skills (MEQ). Dietary habits, intake of specific food groups and dispositional mindfulness are also assessed to explore possible changes associated with the intervention.

The primary aim of the study is to evaluate changes in psychological well-being and mindful eating from baseline to the end of the intervention. Secondary aims include assessing changes in cognitive functioning, eating behavior patterns, and day-to-day fluctuations in mood and attentional engagement with the training materials. Group differences are explored across three experimental conditions, which vary in the level of content emphasis. Group 1 listens to general food-related podcast (MEE), group 2 listens to a podcast discussing theoretical information about mindful eating (MET), while group 3 listens to a podcast that, besides theoretical information, also offers daily practices (MEP).