Description

Background. Postpartum life may lead to suboptimal nutrition behaviors/habits. Mothers have reported an unbalanced diet postpartum, defined as insufficient intake of key food groups i.e., fruits, veggies, grain foods, dairy and meat, which is directly linked to obesity, diabetes, and cancer. Maternal eating behaviours also contribute to child feeding practices, which in turn shape their lifelong eating patterns. Mindful eating can help struggling mothers to re-balance their nutrition by increasing awareness of choices, reducing stress, and fostering a greater connection to bodily cues, such as hunger and fullness cues. Previous literature on mindful eating has focused on the pregnant population and found that mindfulness-based interventions are feasible and acceptable, can reduce stress and overeating during pregnancy, and may support healthier postpartum weight outcomes through intuitive eating practices. The effects of postpartum mindful eating interventions on mothers' diet and feeding of infants remain unknown.

Objectives. The Mindful Moms, Mindful Meals (MMMM) study aims to evaluate the effects of a Mindfulness-Based Eating Awareness Training Postpartum (MB-EAT-P) intervention on infant feeding practices and maternal eating behaviors.

Research Questions.

• Does MB-EAT-P improve mothers' recognition of infant hunger and satiety cues?
• Does MB-EAT-P enhance maternal mindful eating?
• Does MB-EAT-P improve dietary quality of mother and infant?
• Does MB-EAT-P improve behaviour change constructs (e.g., knowledge, confidence, self-efficacy?)
• Does MB-EAT-P improve sleep quality, weight control, and anxiety symptoms?

Methodological Approach. This parallel, waitlist-control randomized controlled trial will adapt an 8-week mindful eating intervention for postpartum participants. Approximately 72 participants, aged 19-45 years, with infants aged 6-12 months who have started solid foods, will be recruited from social media, community outreach, and local health clinics in Fredericton, NB. Exclusion criteria include active eating disorders, substance use disorders, unmanaged medical/mental health conditions such as diagnosed postpartum depression or anxiety, cognitive impairments, recent trauma or untreated post-traumatic stress disorder, participation in a similar program within 12 months, strict dietary regimens, recent major surgery that affects nutritional intake, preterm infants, or no English proficiency.

Mothers will be randomized to either the intervention group or a control group using REDCap®. The intervention group will begin the MB-EAT-P program immediately upon enrollment, participating in 2-hour weekly group sessions over eight weeks, guided by MB-EAT certified instructor, with supplemental at-home mindfulness practices. Sessions will cover topics such as transitioning from breastfeeding and formula-feeding to solid foods, hunger and satiety awareness, recognition and management of emotional and mindless eating, and mindful eating strategies tailored for the postpartum period, including infancy. Meanwhile, the control group will be waitlisted for eight weeks. After the waitlist period, the control group will receive the intervention materials via the MMMM website, including recordings of guided mindful eating meditations, session worksheets, and responsive feeding infographics.

Phenotypic assessments will occur at the University of New Brunswick by telephone and/or online. Data will be collected at baseline, 4 weeks (midpoint), and 8 weeks (post-intervention). Infant feeding practices will be observed, using the validated Responsiveness to Child Feeding Cues Scale, during a recorded individual mealtime session in the PEADS Lab Metabolic Kitchen. The Mindful Eating Scale (MES) and Mindful Eating Behavior Scale (MEBS) will measure maternal mindful eating. Other questionnaires will measure maternal and infant feeding, weight control strategies, sleep, and mental health. Dietary quality of mothers and infants will be measured using the Healthy Eating Food Index and the WHO Infant and Young Child Feeding Indicators, respectively, derived from a 24-hour dietary recall.

Infant feeding practices, maternal eating behaviours, and dietary quality are among the top priorities for mothers. Our outcomes draw from this literature, as well as the priorities identified by moms in our Parent Advisory Committee (PAC). Specifically, the investigators established a PAC consisting of five diverse postpartum mothers from across Canada following the Canadian Institutes for Health Research recommendations for patient engagement. PAC mothers have collaborated (level 4 of 5 of the IAP2) with the research team by contributing to the development of MB-EAT-P session materials as well as informed session timings, postpartum specific programming, MMMM website and child-minding volunteer program.

Statistical Analysis. A repeated measures analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) will be conducted to evaluate the interaction between time (three measurements) and group (intervention vs. control). Based on a repeated measures within-between group interaction (ie. whether the pattern of change over time differs between groups), and assuming a small-to-medium effect size (f = 0.2), α = 0.05, and 95% power, 66 participants (28 per group) are required; to account for an anticipated \~10% drop-out rate, 72 participants (36 per group) will be recruited. A comprehensive analysis of 32 studies reported pooled effect sizes ranging approximately from f = 0.11 to f = 0.35, indicating small to moderate improvements in mindless eating behaviors such as controlled eating, fullness awareness, and impulsive food choices. The effects on stress-related eating behaviors, including emotional and binge eating, were generally smaller and less consistent across studies. However, an effect size of f = 0.32 for fullness awareness and f = 0.25 for long-term improvements in hunger eating were reported in adults, reflecting a medium-sized effect in the context of mindful eating interventions, suggesting an f = 0.20 for MMMM is appropriate yet conservative for an infant population.

Expected Outcomes. This study will generate evidence on how mindful eating interventions, like MB-EAT-P, may enhance maternal and infant feeding practices. Our findings may inform the development of public health programs to promote lifelong mindful eating and feeding habits.