Mind Your Heart: A Mindful Eating and Diet Education eHealth Program

Abstract

ObjectiveExamine user perceptions of the Mind Your Heart (MYH) program, a mindful eating and nutrition education program delivered via an eHealth system. MethodsSixteen participants (41.5 ± 13.1 years) completed sample MYH lessons over 3 weeks. We examined changes in mindfulness from the State Mindfulness Scale via text messages sent 3 times per week. We assessed MYH user perceptions in a semistructured interview after 3 weeks. Analyses included Spearman's correlation, repeated measures ANOVA, and thematic analysis. ResultsState Mindfulness Scale scores were significantly improved (F[1,15] = 5.35, P = 0.01) from week 1 (M = 2.28 ± 0.80) to week 3 (M = 2.75 ± 1.04). Four themes emerged: (1) MYH is supportive of health goals, (2) text messages act as an intervention, (3) facilitators or inhibitors of use, and (4) enhancing engagement. Conclusions and ImplicationsBased on participant feedback, the final version of MYH should include example-based learning to translate abstract concepts like mindful eating into action.