Turner Tami, Hingle Melanie
Department of Nutritional Sciences, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States.
JMIR Res Protoc. 2017 Apr 26;6(4):e67. doi: 10.2196/resprot.6695.
Mindfulness-based interventions are reported to be highly acceptable and have positive effects on youth, yet most are clinic- or school-based aimed at emotional regulation or academic performance. To provide flexible program delivery, we developed and tested a standalone mindfulness-based app aimed at improving weight-related behaviors (eg, diet, physical activity, sleep) in adolescents.
Our objective was to assess the feasibility, acceptability, and utility of a mindfulness-based mobile app.
In a single-arm pilot study, 15 adolescents (14-18 years) were prompted to access the app once a day, every day for 6 weeks. Outcomes were measured by in-app and poststudy surveys, and descriptive statistical analyses were performed. Time within a mindfulness state was self-reported during weekly timed practices.
The app was rated highly for content and encouraging the practice of activities to promote mindfulness states. Teens reported increased awareness of eating behaviors and high adherence, particularly during physically active practices. Average self-reported time spent in a mindfulness state increased 2.5 times by week 6 (78 [SD 17] seconds) compared to week 1 (31 [SD 21] seconds).
The high acceptability and utility ratings of the app, increases in reported time in mindfulness states, and high frequency of participation, including mindful eating and physical activity, suggest the mindfulness-based mobile app has the potential to improve awareness of weight-related behaviors.
据报道，基于正念的干预措施非常容易被接受，并且对青少年有积极影响，但大多数此类干预是以诊所或学校为基础，旨在调节情绪或提高学业成绩。为了提供灵活的项目实施方式，我们开发并测试了一款独立的基于正念的应用程序，旨在改善青少年与体重相关的行为（如饮食、体育活动、睡眠）。
我们的目的是评估一款基于正念的移动应用程序的可行性、可接受性和实用性。
在一项单臂试点研究中，15名青少年（14 - 18岁）被要求每天访问该应用程序一次，持续6周。通过应用程序内和研究后的调查来测量结果，并进行描述性统计分析。在每周定时练习期间，由用户自行报告处于正念状态的时间。
该应用程序在内容以及鼓励开展促进正念状态的活动方面获得了高度评价。青少年报告称，他们对饮食行为的意识有所提高，并且依从性很高，尤其是在体育活动练习期间。与第1周（31[标准差21]秒）相比，到第6周时，用户自行报告的处于正念状态的平均时间增加了2.5倍（78[标准差17]秒）。
该应用程序的高可接受性和实用性评分、报告的处于正念状态时间的增加以及包括正念饮食和体育活动在内的高参与频率表明，这款基于正念的移动应用程序有潜力提高对与体重相关行为的认识。
