Impact of digital meditation on work stress and health outcomes among adults with overweight: A randomized controlled trial.

TitleImpact of digital meditation on work stress and health outcomes among adults with overweight: A randomized controlled trial.
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2023
AuthorsRadin, RM, Epel, ES, Mason, AE, Vaccaro, J, Fromer, E, Guan, J, Prather, AA
JournalPLoS One
Volume18
Issue3
Paginatione0280808
Date Published2023
ISSN1932-6203
KeywordsAdult, Humans, Meditation, Obesity, Occupational Stress, Outcome Assessment, Health Care, Overweight
Abstract

Mindfulness meditation may improve well-being at work; however, effects on food cravings and metabolic health are not well known. We tested effects of digital meditation, alone or in combination with a healthy eating program, on perceived stress, cravings, and adiposity. We randomized 161 participants with overweight and moderate stress to digital meditation ('MED,' n = 38), digital meditation + healthy eating ('MED+HE,' n = 40), active control ('HE,' n = 41), or waitlist control ('WL,' n = 42) for 8 weeks. Participants (n = 145; M(SD) BMI: 30.8 (5.4) kg/m2) completed baseline and 8-week measures of stress (Perceived Stress Scale), cravings (Food Acceptance and Awareness Questionnaire) and adiposity (sagittal diameter and BMI). ANCOVAs revealed that those randomized to MED or MED+HE (vs. HE or WL) showed decreases in perceived stress (F = 15.19, p < .001, η2 = .10) and sagittal diameter (F = 4.59, p = .03, η2 = .04), with no differences in cravings or BMI. Those high in binge eating who received MED or MED+HE showed decreases in sagittal diameter (p = .03). Those with greater adherence to MED or MED+HE had greater reductions in stress, cravings, and adiposity (ps < .05). A brief digital mindfulness-based program is a low-cost method for reducing perceptions of stress and improving abdominal fat distribution patterns among adults with overweight and moderate stress. Future work should seek to clarify mechanisms by which such interventions contribute to improvements in health. Trial registration: Clinical trial registration http://www.ClinicalTrials.gov: identifier NCT03945214.

DOI10.1371/journal.pone.0280808
Alternate JournalPLoS One
PubMed ID36857330
PubMed Central IDPMC9977041
Grant ListR24 AG048024 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
K23 AT011048 / AT / NCCIH NIH HHS / United States