B. A.
Project Research Proposal
SKELETON ARTICLE
Impact of Mindful Eating Behaviour on Stress among Students
Synopsis Submitted to
Sharda School of Humanities and Social Sciences
SHARDA UNIVERSITY
for the partial fulfillment of
Bachelor of Arts (Psychology)
Under the supervision of
Dr. Mohammad Anas
Shireen Afzal
System ID: 2022317244
Programme: BA Psychology
Email: [Link]@[Link]
Introduction
University life is a period characterized by transition, self-discovery, and increasing
responsibility, which often brings with it considerable psychological stress. Students are
required to balance academic demands, social changes, career uncertainty, and personal
development, all within a relatively short and intense time frame. These multifaceted
pressures can lead to elevated stress levels that negatively impact emotional well-being,
academic performance, and everyday behaviours, including eating patterns. Stress-induced
eating—often emotional, impulsive, or mindless—has been widely reported among student
populations.
Mindfulness practices have gained popularity as tools to support mental health, and among
them, mindful eating offers a simple, accessible strategy that encourages awareness and
intentionality during meals. Unlike restrictive diets or reactive eating habits, mindful eating
emphasizes paying attention to the physical experience of eating—taste, texture, satiety cues
—and approaching food without judgment. This conscious engagement may help disrupt
stress-related eating patterns and promote healthier behaviours and emotional regulation.
Given the high prevalence of stress among students and the potential benefits of mindfulness,
this study seeks to explore whether mindful eating behaviours are linked to perceived stress
levels in university students. Establishing even a modest correlation could support integrating
mindful eating into student wellness programs aimed at holistic mental health and stress
management.
Literature Review
Existing literature supports mindfulness as a beneficial tool for stress management
and improved emotional regulation. Studies by Katterman et al. (2016) and Mantzios &
Wilson (2015) suggest mindfulness-based interventions can reduce emotional eating and
increase self-awareness. However, limited research focuses specifically on students. While
Gualtieri et al. (2019) and Lyzwinski (2018) found that mindfulness may influence healthier
eating, the direct impact on academic stress remains unclear. This gap necessitates further
exploration into whether mindful eating specifically mitigates stress in student populations.
Research Objectives
To assess levels of mindful eating and perceived stress among students.
To examine the correlation between mindful eating and stress.
To explore if higher mindful eating scores correspond to lower stress.
Hypothesis
There is a negative correlation between mindful eating behaviour and stress levels
among students.
Methodology
A cross-sectional quantitative study was conducted using a sample of 130 students (ages
18–25) via purposive sampling. Data were collected through:
Mindful Eating Behaviour Scale (MEBS) – 17 items assessing awareness and
responsiveness during eating.
Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) – 10 items evaluating the frequency of stress-related
feelings in the past month.
Pearson’s correlation coefficient was used to analyse the relationship between the
variables using Microsoft Excel. Ethical guidelines were followed, with informed consent
obtained and confidentiality maintained.
Results and Discussion
The study involved a total of 130 university students between the ages of 18 and 25 who
completed both the Mindful Eating Behaviour Scale (MEBS) and the Perceived Stress Scale
(PSS-10). Descriptive statistical analysis was performed to understand the overall levels of
mindful eating and perceived stress within this sample. The results revealed that the mean
score for mindful eating was 64.77 with a standard deviation of 8.06, indicating a moderate to
high level of awareness and intentionality around eating habits. Scores ranged from 41 to 83,
suggesting notable variability in the extent to which students practice mindful eating.
For perceived stress, the average score was 21.69, with a standard deviation of 5.93, and a
range from 7 to 35. These values reflect moderate stress levels among participants, with some
experiencing low stress and others reporting high levels.
To assess the relationship between the two variables, Pearson’s correlation coefficient
was calculated, yielding r = -0.1064. This reflects a very weak negative correlation,
suggesting that students who scored higher on mindful eating may experience slightly lower
levels of perceived stress. However, the result was not statistically significant (p > 0.05),
indicating that the association cannot be considered meaningful within the scope of this
study.
While the correlation aligns with the hypothesis, it was too weak to be significant. This
implies mindful eating alone may not robustly reduce stress in students. Possible confounding
variables include sleep quality, coping strategies, and academic pressures. The cross-sectional
design also limits causal conclusions. Nonetheless, mindful eating remains a promising tool
within broader wellness programs.
Conclusion
This study found a very weak inverse relationship between mindful eating and
perceived stress among students. Although not statistically significant, the trend suggests a
potential benefit of mindful eating. Future studies should use larger, more diverse samples
and explore mindful eating alongside other stress-reduction methods.
References
Kabat-Zinn, J. (1994). Wherever you go, there you are: Mindfulness meditation in everyday
life. Hyperion.
Lazarus, R. S., & Folkman, S. (1984). Stress, appraisal, and coping. Springer Publishing
Company.
Mantzios, M., & Wilson, J. C. (2015). Mindfulness, eating behaviours, and obesity: A review
and reflection on current findings. Current Obesity Reports, 4(2), 141–146.
[Link]
Beshara, M., Hutchinson, A. D., & Wilson, C. (2013). Does mindful eating improve weight
loss? A systematic review and meta-analysis. Appetite, 68, 21–31.
[Link]
Dalen, J., Smith, B. W., Shelley, B. M., Sloan, A. L., Leahigh, L., & Begay, D. (2010). Pilot
study: Mindful eating and living (MEAL): Weight, eating behavior, and psychological
outcomes associated with a mindfulness-based intervention for people with obesity.
Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 18(6), 260–264.
[Link]
Kristeller, J. L., & Wolever, R. Q. (2011). Mindfulness-based eating awareness training for
treating binge eating disorder: The conceptual foundation. Eating Disorders, 19(1),
49–61. [Link]
O'Reilly, G. A., Cook, L., Spruijt-Metz, D., & Black, D. S. (2014). Mindfulness-based
interventions for obesity-related eating behaviours: A literature review. Obesity
Reviews, 15(6), 453–461. [Link]