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Topical Area: Dietary Patterns

Dietary Patterns (Poster Session)

(P14-070-23) The Relationship Between Diet Quality and Mindfulness in a School of Nursing

Sunday, July 23, 2023

11:45 AM – 12:45 PM ET

Location: Poster Board 70

Presenting Author(s)

Kayla L. Parsons, MS, RDN (she/her/hers)

PhD Student
University of Maine
Vassalborro, Maine, United States

Co-Author(s)

KS

Kelley Strout, PhD

University of Maine
RS

Rebecca Schwartz-Mette, PhD

University of Maine
WZ

Wenjun Zhou, PhD

University of Tennessee
Knoxville, Tennessee, United States
JM

Jade McNamara, PhD, RDN

Assistant Professor
University of Maine
Hermon, Maine, United States

Disclosure(s):

Kayla L. Parsons, MS, RDN: No relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

Jade McNamara, PhD, RDN: No relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

Objectives: Mindfulness, the act of non-judgemental awareness, has been established as a key influence of health behaviors in various populations. The objective was to explore the relationship between mindfulness and diet quality (DQ) within a school of nursing (SON).

Methods: A longitudinal cohort study assessed health behaviors within a nursing program in northeastern public university. Current research evaluated a cross-sectional subsample of responses from an online survey distributed in Fall 2022. Assessment measures included the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFQM) and the Short Healthy Eating Index, which measured mindfulness and DQ, respectively. Pearson’s r identified significant associations. Linear regressions analyzed predictors of DQ.

Results: Participants (N=202, 48.9% completion rate) were mostly female (88%), White (88%) and upperclassmen (72.5%). Responses indicated poor DQ (49.5 ± 13.8) and moderate levels of mindfulness (3.7 ± .6). No correlations existed between DQ and mindfulness scores. Significant associations existed between DQ and acting with awareness, a FFQM subscale (r=-.14, p < 0.05). Acting with awareness significantly predicted DQ (r²= .02, F (1,208) =3.99, p< 0.05; (β=-.14, p < 0.05). Acting with awareness also significantly predicted added sugar intake (r2=.02, F (1, 208) = 4.24, p < 0.05;( β=-.14, p < 0.05).

Conclusions: Poor DQ and added sugar intake were negatively associated with greater levels of acting with awareness. Results may be explained by a lack of nutrition knowledge when making dietary choices. Further research is necessary in evaluating if mindfulness-based nutrition education interventions improve DQ.

Funding Sources: This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of an award totaling $1.5 million with zero percentage financed with non-governmental sources. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.