Psychological correlates of mindful eating: the role of mindfulness and eating behaviors among health sciences students

Abstract

Objective This study aimed to examine the associations between psychological factors, eating attitudes, and mindful eating among undergraduate health sciences students. Methods A cross-sectional correlational design was employed with 468 university students. Data were collected using validated self-report instruments, including the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale, Mindful Eating Questionnaire, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and Psychological Well-Being Scale-Short Form. Descriptive statistics, Spearman correlation analyses, and multiple linear regression analyses were conducted using SPSS 25.0. Results Significant positive correlations were found between mindful eating and psychological well-being (r = .298, p < .001) and mindfulness (r = .266, p < .001). Mindfulness was also positively associated with psychological well-being (r = .283, p < .001). A strong negative correlation was observed between psychological well-being and self-esteem (r = - .795, p < .001), while weak negative correlations were identified between self-esteem and both mindful eating (r = - .219, p < .001) and mindfulness (r = - .252, p < .001). In regression analyses, the overall model was statistically significant and explained a small but meaningful proportion of the variance in mindful eating (R & sup2; = 0.104, p < .001). Emotional eating related variables and body perception accounted for additional variance in mindful eating (R & sup2; = 0.047, p < .001). Conclusion Mindfulness and psychological well-being were significantly associated with mindful eating, whereas self-esteem was not independently associated with mindful eating in the regression model. These findings suggest the potential importance of incorporating mindfulness- and emotion-focused components into interventions targeting eating behaviors among health sciences students.