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Completed

NCT Number: NCT07512440

Mindfulness and Sustainable Food Choices.

The goal of this randomized controlled clinical trial is to determine whether a mindfulness-based intervention, in addition to nutritional education, improves healthy and sustainable eating habits in 53 young adults aged 18 to 35 years with low adherence to a sustainable diet.

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Key information

Conditions

Sustainable Dietary Preferences Mindful Eating Intervention

Age range

18 year–35 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

University of Torino

Torino, 10126, Italy

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Aged 18 to 35 years;
  • Low adherence to a sustainable diet, defined as a MedQ-Sus score ≤ 3.0;
  • Body mass index (BMI) between 18.0 and 29.9 kg/m²;
  • Able to provide written informed consent;
  • Generally healthy volunteers;
  • Omnivorous diet;
  • No current or past history of eating disorders;
  • Not pregnant and not planning pregnancy during the study period;
  • Personally responsible for making food-related decisions.

Exclusion criteria

  • MedQ-Sus score ≥ 3.1;
  • BMI < 18.0 or > 29.9 kg/m²;
  • Unable to provide informed consent;
  • Dietary restrictions;
  • Allergy or intolerance to the tested food.

Treatment and study plan

Mindfulness-based Intervention

Behavioral

The mindfulness-based intervention consists of a structured online program delivered over four weeks. Participants attend four 2-hour group sessions conducted once weekly. The program includes guided mindfulness practices, experiential exercises, and group discussions aimed at increasing awareness of eating behaviors, emotional triggers, and food-related decision-making.

Nutritional education

Other

The nutritional education intervention consists of two 1-hour online sessions delivered over two separate weeks. The sessions are based on the EAT-Lancet dietary recommendations for healthy and sustainable eating and provide evidence-based guidance on food choices and dietary patterns consistent with environmental sustainability and health promotion

Primary outcomes

  1. Change in adherence to the EAT-Lancet Diet

    Time frame: Baseline, 4 weeks and 8 weeks after the end of the nutritional education sessions

    Change in adherence to a healthy and sustainable dietary pattern, assessed using the EAT-Lancet Index. The index ranges from 0 to 42, with higher scores indicating greater adherence to the EAT-Lancet dietary recommendations. The total score is derived from 14 dietary components, each scored from 0 to 3. Adherence categories are defined as follows: ≤13 (low adherence), 14-16, 17-19, 20-22, and ≥23 (high adherence).

Secondary outcomes

  1. Change in MedQ-Sus score

    Time frame: Baseline, 4 weeks and 8 weeks after the end of the nutritional education sessions

    Change in Sustainable diet adherence assessed using the Mediterranean Diet Quality Index for Sustainability (MedQ-Sus; range: 0-8), with higher scores indicating greater adherence to a sustainable diet.

  2. Change in body weight and body mass index (BMI)

    Time frame: Baseline, 4 weeks and 8 weeks after the end of the nutritional education sessions

    Change in body weight measured in kilograms (kg) and in BMI calculated as weight (kg)/height (m²)

  3. Change in Mindfulness

    Time frame: Baseline, 4 weeks and 8 weeks after the end of the nutritional education sessions

    Change in mindfulness (awareness) assessed using the Awareness subscale of the Philadelphia Mindfulness Scale. Scores range from 10 to 50, with higher scores indicating greater awareness of the present momen.

  4. Change in mindful eating behaviors

    Time frame: Baseline, 4 weeks and 8 weeks after the end of the nutritional education sessions

    Change in mindful eating (awareness) assessed using the awareness subscale of the Mindful Eating Questionnaire. Mean scores range from 1 to 4, with higher scores indicating greater awareness of how food affects sensory experiences and internal states.

  5. Change in Psychological distress

    Time frame: Baseline, 4 weeks and 8 weeks after the end of the nutritional education sessions

    Change in depression symptoms assessed using the depression subscale of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21 (DASS-21). Scores range from 0 to 42, with higher scores indicating greater symptom severity.

  6. Change in sleep quality

    Time frame: Baseline, 4 weeks and 8 weeks after the end of the nutritional education sessions

    Change in sleep quality assessed using the Mini Sleep Questionnaire. Total scores range from 10 to 70, with higher scores indicating poorer sleep quality.

  7. Change in Mindfulness

    Time frame: Baseline, 4 weeks and 8 weeks after the end of the nutritional education sessions

    Change in Mindfulness (acceptance) assessed using the Acceptance subscale of the Philadelphia Mindfulness Scale. Scores range from 10 to 50, with higher scores indicating greater acceptance (non-judgmental attitude toward experience).

  8. Change in Mindfulness

    Time frame: Baseline, 4 weeks and 8 weeks after the end of the nutritional education sessions

    Change in mindful eating (recognition) assessed using the recognition subscale of the Mindful Eating Questionnaire. Mean scores range from 1 to 4, with higher scores indicating greater ability to recognize hunger, satiety, and cues that lead to eating beyond physiological needs.

  9. Change in Psychological distress

    Time frame: Baseline, 4 weeks and 8 weeks after the end of the nutritional education sessions

    Change in anxiety symptoms assessed using the Anxiety subscale of the DASS-21. Scores range from 0 to 42, with higher scores indicating greater symptom severity.

  10. Change in Psychological distress

    Time frame: Baseline, 4 weeks and 8 weeks after the end of the nutritional education sessions

    Change in stress symptoms assessed using the stress subscale of the DASS-21. Scores range from 0 to 42, with higher scores indicating greater symptom severity.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of Turin, Italy

Other

Registry information

Official study title

MindFOODness: Exploring the Impact of Mindfulness on Sustainable Food Choices. A Randomized Controlled Pilot Trial

Important dates

Study start
2024
Primary completion
2025
Study completion
2025
First posted
Apr 6, 2026
Registry last updated
Apr 6, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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