University of Regensburg, Faculty of Human Sciences, Universitätsstraße 31, Regensburg, 93053, Germany.
Appetite. 2024 Sep 1;200:107554. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2024.107554. Epub 2024 Jun 13.
The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of a mindfulness intervention (IG) compared to an inactive control group (CG) on explicit and implicit attitudes toward vegetarian and meat-based foods, nutrition behavior measures, trait mindfulness and wellbeing.
In the IG (N = 66), we implemented a mindfulness-based intervention consisting of eight weekly group sessions online, along with an additional half-day session held on campus. The CG (N = 71) received no intervention or training. We employed a pre-/post-intervention design involving questionnaires (trait mindfulness, wellbeing, sustainable nutrition behavior scale), an online supermarket scenario, as well as an explicit rating task and an implicit association task using pictures of vegetarian and meat-based foods. Additionally, a voluntary follow-up testing was conducted two months after the final group session.
No intervention effects were observed on explicit and implicit attitudes, wellbeing, or nutrition behavior measures. However, there was an increase in trait mindfulness within the IG. Exploratory cross-sectional findings indicated that trait mindfulness facets such as "Acting with Awareness" and "Outer Awareness", along with explicit attitudes, were significant predictors of self-reported sustainable consumption behavior. Additionally, sex and explicit attitudes were identified as significant predictors of vegetarian consumption behavior in the online supermarket task.
Our findings could not substantiate previous claims regarding the potential causal effects of mindfulness practice on sustainable consumption behavior, specifically in the realm of sustainable and vegetarian nutrition, as well as subjective wellbeing. Future studies may benefit from implementing longer-term mindfulness-based interventions and considering other potential decisive factors, such as connectedness to nature and others. Integrating training elements focusing on these specific variables into the intervention could be valuable.
本研究旨在探究正念干预（IG）与不活动对照组（CG）相比，对素食和肉食食品的外显和内隐态度、营养行为措施、特质正念和幸福感的影响。
在 IG（N=66）中，我们实施了一项基于正念的干预，包括八周的在线小组会议，以及在校园内举行的额外半天课程。CG（N=71）未接受干预或培训。我们采用了预/后干预设计，涉及问卷（特质正念、幸福感、可持续营养行为量表）、在线超市情景，以及素食和肉食食品图片的外显评价任务和内隐联想任务。此外，在最后一次小组会议两个月后进行了自愿随访测试。
在显式和隐式态度、幸福感或营养行为措施方面未观察到干预效果。然而，IG 中的特质正念有所增加。探索性横断面研究结果表明，特质正念的某些方面，如“觉察行动”和“外在觉察”，以及外显态度，是自我报告的可持续消费行为的重要预测因素。此外，在在线超市任务中，性别和外显态度被确定为素食消费行为的重要预测因素。
我们的研究结果无法证实之前关于正念实践对可持续消费行为的潜在因果影响的说法，特别是在可持续和素食营养以及主观幸福感方面。未来的研究可能受益于实施长期的正念干预，并考虑其他潜在的决定性因素，例如与自然和他人的联系。将关注这些特定变量的培训元素纳入干预中可能是有价值的。
