Guided Meditation and Stress-Induced Eating

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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The aim of this study is to test the effects of a digital meditation intervention in a sample of UCLA employees who report mild to moderate stress. We will randomize University of California Los Angeles employees to either 8-weeks of a digital meditation intervention (using the commercially available application Headspace) or a waitlist control condition.

Detailed Description
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The aim of this study is to test the effects of a digital meditation intervention in a sample of UCLA employees who report mild to moderate stress. UCLA employees will be randomized to either 8-weeks of a digital meditation intervention (using the commercially available application Headspace) or a waitlist control condition. Participants who are assigned to the intervention group will be asked to download and use the Headspace mobile application for at least 10 minutes per day for 8 weeks. All participants will be asked to fill out short (no longer than 25 minutes) questionnaires at baseline, week 4, week 8 (post intervention), and a 4-month follow up period. Among participants who are randomized to the digital meditation intervention, they will also take part in a 1-year follow up. All activities will take place online (via computer or smartphone). Prior to randomization, participants will complete an eligibility screening and complete the baseline questionnaire battery. The entirety of the study is digital and there are no in-person assessments. Adherence will be tracked remotely. The goal is to recruit as many as 1000 participants (500 per condition).

Official Title
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The Impact of 8 Weeks of a Digital Meditation Application on Stress-Induced Eating

Conditions
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Stress-induced Eating

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: Meditation


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Have access to a smartphone or computer everyday Are fluent in English Are a University of California, Los Angeles employee Report mild to moderate levels of stress Consent: demonstrate understanding of the study and willingness to participate as evidenced by voluntary informed consent and has received a signed and dated copy of the informed consent Are at least 18 years of age Exclusion Criteria: You may not join if you are an experienced meditator or have participated in a formal meditation practice in the last 6 months (defined as once or more per week for a duration of 20 minutes or more at each practice)

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 18 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Treatment
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Interventional Model Description: Randomization to either digital meditation condition or waitlist-control condition
Masking: Single


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Meditation Group<br>The intervention group will be assigned to a digitally-based meditation intervention (Headspace app- Basic + Stress packs) and asked to use this for at least 10 minutes a day over the course of 8 weeks | Behavioral: Meditation<br>* Ten minutes of meditation per day for 8 weeks using a mobile application<br>|
| No Intervention: Wait-list Control Group<br>Wait-list control group participants will continue their normal activities and not engage in any form of meditation during the study period | |

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Reductions in perceived stress as measured by the Perceived Stress Scale | Changes in the Perceived Stress Scale (range: 1-40; Cohen, Kamarck, & Mermelstein, 1988). Higher scores indicate greater psychological distress. | Baseline to post-intervention (8 weeks from baseline) | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Reductions in stress-induced eating as measured by the Palatable Eating Motives Scale | Changes self-reporting using highly palatable foods to cope with stress, according to the Palatable Eating Motives Scale Coping subscale (range: 1-20) Burgess, Turan, Lokken, Morse, & Boggiano, 2014). Higher scores indicate a higher likelihood of using palatable foods to cope with stress. | Baseline to post-intervention (8 weeks from baseline) | 
| Reductions in reward-based eating as measured by the Reward-based Eating Drive | Changes in self-reporting intrinsic rewards from consuming highly palatable foods, according to the Reward-based Eating Drive (RED) Scale (range: 1-45; Epel, et al. 2014). Higher scores indicate a greater reward response from consuming palatable foods. | Baseline to post-intervention (8 weeks from baseline) |