The effect of mindful eating and intuitive eating behaviours on nutrition status in university students

This study which aims to determine the effect of mindful eating and intuitive eating behaviours on nutrition status in university students was conducted in October 2018 – November 2018 among 387 Baskent University Health Science Faculty students (ages ≥ 19) who are volunteer to participate the study. The sociodemographic characteristics and exercise status of the students were derived by face to face interviewing method using a questionnaire and anthropometric measurements (weight, height) were taken. In order to determine the nutrition status of the subjects Mediterranean Diet Quality Index (KIDMED) and Energy Dense Food Frequency Scale were used. To detect the mindful eating status of subjects Mindful Eating Questionnaire and to determine intuitive eating behaviours Turkish version of Intuitive Eating Scale-2 were used. The subject group was consisted of 94.1 % female and 5.9 % male students (ages 20.70±1.81).In the survey, 46.5% of the students were majoring in nutrition and dietetics and 53.5% of the students were studying in other departments consisting in faculty of health sciences. Subjects' body mass index (BMI) distribution was evaluated according to gender; among those 70.3% are in normal weight, 18.7 % underweight, 8.9 % overweight, and 2.1 % obese. There is a significant relationship between overall scores of mindful eating scale, disinhibition and also control over eating subscales' scores and BMI groups (p<0.05). A statistically significant relationship was found between BMI groups and Intuitive Eating Scale overall score and all subscales except body-food choice congruence scale (p<0.05). Except mindful eating scale total median score and mindfulness subscale, all of the mindful eating subscale median scores of the subjects majoring in nutrition and dietetics were found to be statistically higher than subjects from other majors (p< 0.05). There was no significant relationship between subjects intuitive eating total median scores and their majors (p > 0.05). A strong positive relationship was detected between mindful eating and intuitive eating (p<0.05). A negative relationship was observed between mindful eating and frequency of consuming energy dense foods (p< 0.05). There was no significant relationship between intuitive eating and the frequency of consuming energy dense foods excluding pastry. A significant positive relationship was detected between KIDMED index score and mindful eating. There was no significant relationship between intuitive eating and KIDMED index scores except unconditional permission to eat subscale. Consequently, this study states that mindful eating and intuitive eating behaviours could be effective on nutrition status among university students. However, the effectiveness could not be exactly determined.