Mindful Eating in Breast Cancer Survivors: A Pilot Study in Türkiye (MIND-BR)

Acibadem University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Breast Cancer Survivorship; Eating Behavior; Mindful Eating Intervention; Weight Management

Treatments: Behavioral: Mindful Eating Intervention; Behavioral: Oncology Nutrition Counseling

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT07007104

2025-CancerStudy

Details and patient eligibility

About

The goal of this clinical trial is to explore whether a mindful eating intervention can improve eating behaviors and support sustainable weight management among female breast cancer survivors in Türkiye who have completed active treatment.

The main questions it aims to answer are:

• Can a structured mindful eating program improve intuitive and mindful eating behaviors?
• Does the intervention lead to favorable changes in body weight, BMI, waist circumference, and fat mass compared to usual care?

Researchers will compare a group receiving a 6-session mindful eating intervention plus treatment-as-usual (MEI + TAU) to a treatment-as-usual (TAU) control group to see if the intervention provides additional benefits on eating behaviors and body composition.

Participants will:

• Attend six 60-90 minute group sessions on mindful eating delivered by trained professionals
• Receive tailored nutrition education from an oncology dietitian
• Complete validated questionnaires (IES-2 and MEQ-30) and anthropometric assessments at baseline and follow-up

Full description

This randomized controlled pilot study investigates the effects of a six-session mindful eating intervention (MEI) on eating behaviors and body composition among female breast cancer (BC) survivors in Türkiye. Participants were recruited from a medical oncology clinic and were eligible if they had completed surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy, with or without ongoing hormone therapy, at least six months prior to enrollment. A total of 25 participants were randomly assigned to one of two groups: (1) MEI combined with treatment-as-usual (MEI + TAU, n = 12) and (2) treatment-as-usual alone (TAU, n = 13).

The MEI consisted of six weekly 60-90 minute sessions led by a trained mindful eating facilitator and a registered dietitian with oncology experience. Sessions addressed themes such as recognizing hunger and satiety cues, slowing down during meals, managing emotional eating, and enhancing sensory awareness. Participants also received individualized nutritional counseling based on their anthropometric data and dietary habits.

Data were collected at baseline and multiple follow-up points across six months. Outcomes included body weight, BMI, waist circumference, fat mass, and scores from two validated behavioral questionnaires: the Intuitive Eating Scale-2 (IES-2) and the Mindful Eating Questionnaire-30 (MEQ-30). Body composition was assessed using bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), and statistical analysis was performed to evaluate within-group and between-group changes over time.

Preliminary results suggest that participants in the MEI + TAU group experienced significant improvements in intuitive eating scores, particularly in reliance on hunger/satiety cues and reduced emotional eating. Mindful eating scores also increased across several subscales, and reductions in waist circumference were more pronounced in the intervention group. These findings indicate that mindful eating interventions may support sustainable weight management and improved eating behaviors in breast cancer survivors. Further large-scale studies are warranted to confirm these outcomes and explore long-term effects on survivorship and recurrence risk.

Enrollment: 25 patients

Sex: Female

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Female individuals aged 18 years and older
• History of breast cancer diagnosis (any subtype)
• Completion of active cancer treatment (surgery, chemotherapy, and/or radiotherapy) at least 6 months prior to enrollment
• Ability to participate in group-based behavioral sessions
• Ability to provide informed consent

Exclusion criteria

• Completion of cancer treatment less than 6 months prior to enrollment
• Presence of metastatic disease or active cancer recurrence
• Concurrent diagnosis of another major illness affecting dietary behavior (e.g., eating disorder, severe gastrointestinal disease)
• Cognitive impairment or psychiatric condition that limits ability to participate in behavioral sessions
• Inability or unwillingness to attend group intervention sessions

Trial design

Primary purpose: Supportive Care

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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25 participants in 2 patient groups

Mindful Eating Intervention + Treatment as Usual (MEI + TAU)

Experimental group

Description:

Participants in this group received six structured sessions of a mindful eating intervention over a defined period, each lasting 60-90 minutes. The intervention was delivered by a registered dietitian certified in both Mindful Eating Certificate (The Center of Mindful Eating, EatRight Certified, 2023) and Mindfulness-Based Eating Awareness Training (MB-EAT) (Mindful Eating Training Institute, 2019). These sessions aimed to improve awareness of hunger and satiety cues, reduce emotional eating, and promote healthier eating behaviors. In addition to the behavioral sessions, participants also received standard post-treatment care, including individualized nutritional counseling by an oncology dietitian.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Oncology Nutrition Counseling

Behavioral: Mindful Eating Intervention

Treatment as Usual (TAU)

Active Comparator group

Description:

Participants in this group received standard survivorship care, which included individualized nutritional education and counseling delivered by an oncology dietitian. They did not participate in any mindful eating-specific behavioral intervention. This group served as the comparator to evaluate the added effect of the structured mindful eating program.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Oncology Nutrition Counseling