Mindful Eating Proficiency and Healthy Eating Literacy in Japanese Mothers: Associations with Their Own and Their Children’s Eating Behavior

Abstract

Purpose Mindfulness is a psychological process that can be developed using meditation and other types of training to focus on the present moment. Applying this concept to eating (i.e., mindful eating; ME) is associated with regulated eating behavior, especially in overweight or obese people. Sustaining healthy eating habits requires both healthy eating literacy (HEL) and proficiency in ME. However, ME proficiency in Japanese people has not been sufficiently investigated. Methods We conducted a survey of mothers with 4 to 5-year-old children in Aomori City, Japan, to investigate their ME proficiency and HEL level, as well as eating behavior and self-reported body mass index in both mothers and their children. This study was the first to describe ME proficiency in Japanese mothers. Results ME proficiency in mothers was positively correlated with both their own and their children’s eating behaviors, suggesting a potential relationship, while strong relationships were not observed between the HEL level and eating behaviors of mothers and children. Conclusion Improving ME skills, rather than HEL, may be an effective way to sustain healthier eating behaviors in mothers and their children. Level of evidence: Level I, Evidence obtained from experimental studies