Mindfulness Training to Promote Healthy Diet and Physical Activity inTeens

描述（由申请人提供）：不健康的饮食习惯和缺乏运动是心血管疾病发生的重要可改变的行为危险因素。这两种行为通常都是在青春期形成的，在青少年中非常普遍。相反，在青少年中建立健康的饮食和体育活动习惯会对成年后的健康产生重大益处，这突出表明需要制定旨在改善青少年饮食和体育活动习惯的方案。然而，到目前为止，旨在促进青少年健康饮食和运动习惯的干预措施对这些行为的影响不大，而且关于如何随着时间的推移保持这些习惯的积极变化的知识有限。目前来自观察性研究的证据表明，青少年较高的正念水平与更好的饮食和锻炼习惯有关。此外，正念与较低的冲动和更好的自我控制有关，这是年轻人群健康行为的重要决定因素。多项研究表明，正念训练会提高正念水平，正念水平的提高会调节正念干预对健康结果的影响。与PA-11-329“确定补充和替代医学方法对儿童和青少年发展和维持健康行为习惯的影响”的目标一致，这一多项目申请旨在研究正念训练在促进和维持健康饮食和体育活动习惯方面的作用。我们假设，与单独的教育计划相比，在教育计划中增加正念训练将改善饮食和身体活动，并且这些变化将随着时间的推移而保持。此外，我们期望观察到冲动性的减少，这表明冲动性可能是正念干预对饮食和身体活动影响的潜在中介。本初步研究将在马萨诸塞州2所高中招募80名九年级青少年（平均年龄14岁），测试学校提供的正念+健康教育干预（MHE）与单独健康教育干预（HE）对饮食习惯和体育活动的可行性和初步效果；每所学校将被随机分配到MHE或HE干预组。评估将在基线、干预结束（基线后2个月）和8个月（学年结束）随访时进行。该提案的创新之处包括研究正念训练对青少年健康行为的影响，以及在这一人群中建立一个将正念、冲动和行为改变联系起来的新模型。这项研究意义重大，因为目标行为的重要性，以及如果证明了效果，将有可能转化为高中环境。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Unhealthy dietary habits and physical inactivity are important modifiable behavioral risk factors for the development of cardiovascular disease. Both behaviors are often established during adolescence and are highly prevalent in teenagers. Conversely, the establishment of healthy dietary and physical activity habits in youth leads to significant health benefits in adulthood, highlighting the need to develop programs aimed at improving dietary and physical activity habits in youth. However, thus far, interventions designed to promote healthy dietary and exercise habits in adolescents have had modest effects on these behaviors, and there is limited knowledge on how to maintain positive changes in these habits over time. Current evidence from observational studies suggests that higher mindfulness levels in adolescents are associated with better eating and exercise habits. In addition, mindfulness is associated with lower impulsivity and better self-control, which are important determinants of healthy behaviors in younger populations. Multiple studies have shown that mindfulness levels increase in response to mindfulness training, and that an increase in mindfulness mediates the effect of mindfulness interventions on health outcomes. Consistent with the goals of PA-11-329 "to determine the influence of complementary and alternative medicine approaches on developing and sustaining healthy behavior habits in children and youth" this multi-PI application seeks to study the role of mindfulness training in promoting and maintaining healthy dietary and physical activity habits. We posit that the addition of mindfulness training to an educational program, compared to an educational program alone, will improve diet and physical activity, and these changes will be maintained over time. In addition, we expect to observe a decrease in impulsivity, indicating that impulsivity may serve as a potential mediator of the effec of the mindfulness intervention on diet and physical activity. This pilot study will test the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a school-delivered, mindfulness + health education intervention (MHE) compared to health education (HE) alone on dietary habits and physical activity in 80 adolescents recruited among 9th graders (average age, 14) in 2 high schools in Massachusetts; each school will be randomized to either the MHE or HE intervention. Assessments will be performed at baseline, at the end of the intervention (2 months post- baseline), and at 8- months (end of academic year) follow-up. Innovative aspects of this proposal include studying the effect of mindfulness training on health behaviors among youth and the development of a new model linking mindfulness, impulsivity and behavioral change in this population. The study is significant due to the importance of the behaviors targeted and to the potential for translation to high school settings if an effect is demonstrated.