Intuitive eating and dietary quality in women with disordered eating: Longitudinal analyses of a pilot web-based intervention

Abstract

Objective: Intuitive Eating (IE) is a dietary practice emphasizing internal bodily cues. This study examines the relationship between changes in IE and vegetable intake, and the effect of psychological flexibility on this relationship. ¶ Participants and Methods: This study employed data derived from a 10-week IE-centered intervention for women ages 18-30 with subclinical disordered eating (n=123). A secondary analysis of pre-post data from this intervention (n=62), and follow-up data 6 months post-intervention (n=34), were utilized. Linear mixed modeling for repeated measures was used to assess effects of changes in IE and its components/subscales on changes in vegetable intake across 3 timepoints. MEMORE was used to test a serial mediation model of time on vegetable intake through changes in IE/its components and psychological flexibility. ¶ Results: Time was a significant predictor of within-group changes in IE; from baseline to follow-up, participants demonstrated significant increases in IE. Time was also a significant predictor of within-group changes in vegetable intake, where significant increases in vegetable intake from baseline to follow-up were observed. The interaction term for changes in IE by time on vegetable intake was not significant, F(89.75) = 2.13; p=.125. Estimates of fixed effects revealed that for every 1-point increase in IE, vegetable intake increased by 4.11 points, though this relationship was not significant (p=.094). Interaction terms for changes in IE components by time on vegetable intake were not significant. Serial mediation analyses did not reveal significant indirect effects. However, a significant direct effect was revealed, 2 whereby combined changes in both IE and psychological flexibility predicted greater increases in vegetable intake. ¶ Conclusions: After completing an IE-focused intervention, participants with subclinical disordered eating increased their levels of intuitive eating and maintained this change in a 6-month follow-up. From baseline to follow-up, vegetable intake also increased significantly. A combined effect of IE and psychological flexibility was also revealed, indicating that increases in these factors together effect greater increases in vegetable intake. However, these results should be interpreted with caution given the small sample size and novelty of the intervention. While changes in IE and vegetable intake were observed, interaction terms were not significant; more research is needed to clarify this relationship.