Testing the Feasibility and Potential Impact of a Mindfulness-Based Pilot Program in Urban School Youth

Sabrina Krebs, Emily Moak, Shakiba Muhammadi, David Forbes, Ming-Chin Yeh and May May Leung
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Sabrina Krebs: Nutrition Program, Hunter College, City University of New York, 2180 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10035, USA
Emily Moak: School of Public Health, City University of New York, 2180 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10035, USA
Shakiba Muhammadi: School of Public Health, City University of New York, 2180 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10035, USA
David Forbes: Urban Education Doctoral Program, Graduate Center, City University of New York, 365 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA
Ming-Chin Yeh: Nutrition Program, Hunter College, City University of New York, 2180 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10035, USA
May May Leung: Nutrition Program, Hunter College, City University of New York, 2180 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10035, USA

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 6, 1-12

Abstract: Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) could be effective in engaging children and reducing childhood obesity risk. The purpose of this study was to test feasibility, fidelity, and potential impact of a pilot MBI in urban school youth. A two-group quasi-experimental study was conducted in a Harlem, New York school. Participants comprised 51 students (ages 9–12, 54% female, 85% African American/Black). The experimental (E) group ( n = 26) participated in a nine-session pilot MBI. Sessions were 90 min and offered weekly as part of afterschool programming. Children only attending during the school day comprised the control (C) group ( n = 25). Process evaluation (e.g., fidelity, reach) was performed. Interviews with the E group were conducted to determine program acceptability. Mindful eating and resilience measures were collected at baseline and post-intervention. Intervention feasibility was high as the retention rate was 100% and fidelity was good as nine out of ten sessions were implemented. Relative to baseline, significant improvements were observed in the C group compared to the E group in the resilience composite score ( p = 0.01) and its confidence domain ( p = 0.01). A MBI may provide a unique opportunity to engage youth. However, further research is warranted to determine if a MBI could promote health in urban, school-age children.

Keywords: mindfulness; mindful eating; childhood obesity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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