Abstract MP004: Feasibility of an Appetite Awareness Intervention to Reduce Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors and Binge Eating in African-American Women with Obesity

Abstract

Background: Currently, 82.1% of African-American (AA) women are overweight or obese, and 48.9% of AA women have cardiovascular disease (CVD), the leading cause of death. Binge eating disorder (BED) is associated with severe obesity, psychiatric morbidity, and increased risk for CVD. Among AA women, BED is the most common eating disorder and has a 33% prevalence among those seeking weight loss. Since many adults with BED report becoming overweight after binge eating on a regular basis, intervening with individuals at risk to develop BED may be a viable strategy to prevent CVD and further weight gain. Purpose: To investigate the feasibility of an 8-week, community-based Appetite Awareness Training intervention among AA women who are overweight and obese reporting monthly binge eating episodes, and examine preliminary changes in CVD risk, eating self-efficacy, and binge eating between the intervention and control group. Methods: Eligible individuals were randomized to Appetite Awareness Treatment (AAT, n=16) or Wait-List Control (WLC, n=15) with the WLC receiving the AAT after 8-weeks of observation. The goal of Appetite Awareness Treatment is to help participants relearn their biological signals of hunger and satiety. Participants attend group sessions, and receive weekly homework to self-monitor their appetite cues. Assessments were conducted at 0 and 8 weeks at a community-based site. Linear mixed modeling was used to examine the baseline to 8-week changes between AAT and WLC groups on CVD risk factors (body weight, waist circumference, blood pressure) self-efficacy by Weight Efficacy Lifestyle Questionnaire (WEL), and binge eating by the Binge Eating Scale (BES). Results: The sample (N=31), had a mean age of 48.8 (SD±12.8), and a BMI of 33.7 kg/m 2 (SD±3.90). Retention was 87.5%, session attendance 65.9%, and homework completion 55%. There were significant group differences over time in the WEL score (p<.01, d=1.06), and the BES score (p<.001, d=.52) at the end of the intervention. The AAT group had an increase in the WEL score (+25.14±6.67), with no changes in the WLC group (-1.27±4.15). Additionally, the AAT group had a decrease in the BES score (-5.87±0.61), with no changes in the WLC group (0 ±0.01). There were no significant differences within and between groups in CVD risk factors. Conclusions: Our pilot trial results suggest that AAT is feasible in this population, with good retention, attendance, and preliminary evidence of a positive impact on eating self-efficacy, binge eating behaviors, and weight gain prevention. Future research should investigate the effectiveness of AAT to reduce binge eating and CVD risk in a larger sample and study with a longer duration.