Effect of a Group Behavioural Management Program on Emotional Regulation of Food Choices: A Pilot Randomized...

In Ontario, group programs to increase mindfulness of food choices are provided in Family Health Teams (FHTs), but evaluation is limited. We targeted patients with chronic conditions that could benefit from intensified management and evaluated an existing program.

We included 3 FHTs. Patients were randomized to immediate participation in the intervention (n = 16) or to wait-list control (n = 14). Eligible participants were between 40 and 70 years old, living with diabetes and/or hypertension and had at least 2 of: elevated cholesterol (LDL >4 if hypertension or LDL >2 mmol/L if diabetes), blood sugar (A1c >7.5%), or blood pressure (systolic BP >140). The intervention was a 6-week group program of 2-hour weekly sessions addressing mindfulness of food choices facilitated by a trained dietitian and social worker. We used the Emotional Eating Questionnaire (EEQ) a validated 10-item questionnaire measuring the degree of interaction between food intake and emotion. The primary outcome was change in the EEQ over 6 weeks.

There was no difference in the change in EEQ in either unadjusted (P = 0.4) or adjusted (P = 0.3) analysis.

We found no effect for this intervention, although the small sample size limits interpretation. The results were contrary to what was expected.