Health Behavior ChangeNCT07784972
Effects of a Digital AI-Mediated Mindful Eating Intervention on Eating Behavior and Well-Being Outcomes in College Students
A study testing Mindful Eating in people with Health Behavior Change, run by Singapore Management University at 1 site in Singapore.
Trial summary
The goal of this randomized controlled study is to learn whether a 21-day mindful eating program can improve mental well-being and eating behavior outcomes in university students. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and olderHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Health Behavior Change
- What is being tested?
- Mindful Eating
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 250 participants
- Where
- 1 siteSingapore
- Study dates
- 21 Aug 2026to 17 Oct 2026
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 years and older
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Student of Singapore Management University
- Uses Telegram
Who cannot join
- Below 18 Years Old
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
Singapore1 site
Singapore Management University, Online
Singapore, Singapore, 178903
Tracy X Chen, +65 91691725, Tracychen.2023@phdps.smu.edu.sg
About this study
Official title: Effects of a Digital AI-Mediated Mindful Eating Intervention on Eating Behavior and Well-Being Outcomes in College Students: A Randomized Controlled Trial
The goal of this randomized controlled study is to learn whether a 21-day mindful eating program can improve mental well-being and eating behavior outcomes in university students. The main questions it aims to answer are: Does participation in a 21-day mindful eating program improve students' well-being (e.g., anxiety, stress, affect, life satisfaction, perceived health)? Does the program improve students' eating behavior outcomes (e.g., mindful eating, emotional eating)? Researchers will compare students who complete the mindful eating program immediately to students in a waitlist control group to see whether participation in the program leads to greater improvements in well-being and eating behavior outcomes. Participants will sign up online and provide informed consent, be randomly assigned to either the intervention group or a waitlist control group, receive daily mindful eating tasks and reminders via Telegram for 21 days (intervention group), reflect daily about the task with a chatbot, as well as complete online questionnaire surveys at baseline, post-intervention, and a 2-week follow-up for those who opt in.
- Conditions
- Health Behavior Change
- Being tested
- Mindful Eating
- Keywords
- Mindful Eating, Intervention, AI, 21-Day
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Mindful EatingBehavioural
The intervention is a 21-day, digitally delivered mindful eating program consisting of daily, brief, mindful eating tasks as well as brief post-task reflections with an AI bot, designed to support eating behavior and mental well-being in university students. The program includes low-intensity mindful eating practices that can be completed independently without specialized equipment or prior training, e.g. observing one's meal for one minute before taking the first bite. Participants assigned to the intervention group receive one structured mindful eating task per day for 21 consecutive days. Tasks are delivered via a Telegram channel, accompanied by brief reminders to prompt engagement. Each task is designed to be short in duration, flexible in timing, and feasible within daily meal routines, emphasizing consistency. Participants then reflect on the tasks with an AI bot. The intervention is self-guided and asynchronous, with no in-person contact, live sessions, or direct supervision.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Intervention group | Experimental | Not described Receives: Behavioral: Mindful Eating |
| Waitlist Control | No intervention | Not described |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
State Anxiety
State anxiety will be measured using the 6-item State-Trait Anxiety Inventory STAI-6. Six items (e.g., "I felt upset these past 2 weeks.") rated from 1 (Not at all) to 4 (Very much so) will be averaged. Higher composite scores indicate higher levels of anxiety.
Measured: Enrollment to the end of intervention at 3 weeks and the end of follow-up at 5 weeks
Stress
Perceived stress will be measured by an adapted version of the 4-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). One sample item is "In the last 2 weeks, how often have you felt that you were unable to control the important things in your life? ", and items are scored from 0 (Never) to 4 (Very often). The composite score is calculated by averaging the scores of all items after reverse coding two of the items; higher scores indicate greater levels of perceived stress.
Measured: Enrollment to the end of intervention at 3 weeks and the end of follow-up at 5 weeks
Positive and Negative Affect
Positive Affect (PA) and Negative Affect (NA) will be evaluated using the affect scale developed by Conner and Silvia, according to principles of the Circumplex Model of Affect. Participants will rate feelings such as 'Enthusiastic' and 'Hostile' experienced over the past two weeks, from a scale of 1 to 5 (1 = Not at all, 5 = Extremely). Composite scores will be calculated by averaging the positive affect items and negative affect items accordingly.
Measured: Enrollment to the end of intervention at 3 weeks and the end of follow-up at 5 weeks
Mindful eating
Mindful eating will be measured by the 17-item Mindful Eating Behavior Scale (MEBS) which consists of 4 domains: Focused Eating (e.g. "I notice flavors and textures when I'm eating my food"), Hunger and Satiety Cues (e.g. "I trust my body to tell me when to eat"), Eating with Awareness (reverse scored, e.g. "I snack without being aware that I am eating"), and Eating Without Distraction (reverse scored, e.g. "My thoughts tend to wander while I am eating.") Each item is scored from 1 (Never) to 5 (Very often). Scores will be averaged across domains.
Measured: Enrollment to the end of intervention at 3 weeks and the end of follow-up at 5 weeks
Eating Behavior
Eating behavior is measured by the Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire (DEBQ). Items are scored by calculating the average score for three eating styles of restrained eating, emotional eating and external eating. It contains 33 items (11 each style), each rated on a 5-point Likert scale (1 = Never, 5 = Very Often). Scores are averaged across domains.
Measured: Enrollment to the end of intervention at 3 weeks and the end of follow-up at 5 weeks
Secondary outcomes (3)
Life Satisfaction
Life satisfaction will be measured using an adapted version of Diener's Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS). The scale consists of 5 items e.g. "The conditions of my life these past 2 weeks are excellent." and is scored from 1 (Strongly disagree) to 7 (Strongly agree). Scores will be averaged and higher scores indicate higher life satisfaction.
Measured: Enrollment to the end of intervention at 3 weeks and the end of follow-up at 5 weeks
Perceived Health
Perceived physical and mental health will be assessed using a self-report single-item measure of general health status. Participants will respond to the question, "How would you rate your physical(mental) health over the past two weeks?" Responses will be rated on a 5-point scale from 1 (Poor) to 5 (Excellent). Higher scores indicate better perceived physical health.
Measured: Enrollment to the end of intervention at 3 weeks and the end of follow-up at 5 weeks
AI Attitude
AI Attitude is measured by the 12-item Attitudes towards artificial intelligence Scale (ATTARI). One example item is "I look forward to future AI developments", and items are scored from 1 (Strongly Disagree) to 5 (Strongly Agree). There are three facets: Cognitive, Affective and Behavioral. Scores are averaged across domains and higher scores indicate more favorable attitudes toward AI.
Measured: Enrollment to the end of intervention at 3 weeks and the end of follow-up at 5 weeks
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted25 Aug 2026
- Study start21 Aug 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion17 Oct 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion17 Oct 2026 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (8)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Health Behavior ChangeStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Supportive care
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Participant
- Enrolment
- 250 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Singapore Management University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Tracy Chen Xi, Singapore Management University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07784972
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- IRB-26-176-A144(826)
- Status last verified
- Aug 2026
- First submitted
- 19 Aug 2026
- Last updated
- 28 Aug 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Publications
Van Strien, T., Frijters, J. E. R., Bergers, G. P. A., & Defares, P. B. (1986). The Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire (DEBQ) for assessment of restrained, emotional, and external eating behavior. The International Journal of Eating Disorders, 5(2), 295-315. https://doi.org/10.1002/1098-108X(198602)5:2<295::AID-EAT2260050209>3.0.CO;2-T
Winkens LHH, van Strien T, Barrada JR, Brouwer IA, Penninx BWJH, Visser M. The Mindful Eating Behavior Scale: Development and Psychometric Properties in a Sample of Dutch Adults Aged 55 Years and Older. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2018 Jul;118(7):1277-1290.e4. doi: 10.1016/j.jand.2018.01.015. Epub 2018 Apr 11.
PubMed 29655657Conner, T. S., & Silvia, P. J. (2015). Creative Days: A Daily Diary Study of Emotion, Personality, and Everyday Creativity. Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, 9(4), 463-470. https://doi.org/10.1037/aca0000022
Stein JP, Messingschlager T, Gnambs T, Hutmacher F, Appel M. Attitudes towards AI: measurement and associations with personality. Sci Rep. 2024 Feb 5;14(1):2909. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-53335-2.
PubMed 38316898Marteau TM, Bekker H. The development of a six-item short-form of the state scale of the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Br J Clin Psychol. 1992 Sep;31(3):301-6. doi: 10.1111/j.2044-8260.1992.tb00997.x.
PubMed 1393159Russell, J. A. (1980). A circumplex model of affect. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 39(6), 1161-1178. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0077714
Diener E, Emmons RA, Larsen RJ, Griffin S. The Satisfaction With Life Scale. J Pers Assess. 1985 Feb;49(1):71-5. doi: 10.1207/s15327752jpa4901_13.
PubMed 16367493Cohen S, Kamarck T, Mermelstein R. A global measure of perceived stress. J Health Soc Behav. 1983 Dec;24(4):385-96. No abstract available.
PubMed 6668417
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 28 Aug 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Effects of a Digital AI-Mediated Mindful Eating Intervention on Eating Behavior and Well-Being Outcomes in College Students: A Randomized Controlled Trial
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07784972
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- IRB-26-176-A144(826)
- Conditions
- Health Behavior Change
- Keywords
- Mindful Eating, Intervention, AI, 21-Day
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Not yet recruiting
- Enrolment
- 250 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Singapore Management UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 21 Aug 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion
- 17 Oct 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 17 Oct 2026 (estimated)
- First posted
- 25 Aug 2026 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The goal of this randomized controlled study is to learn whether a 21-day mindful eating program can improve mental well-being and eating behavior outcomes in university students. The main questions it aims to answer are: Does participation in a 21-day mindful eating program improve students' well-being (e.g., anxiety, stress, affect, life satisfaction, perceived health)? Does the program improve students' eating behavior outcomes (e.g., mindful eating, emotional eating)? Researchers will compare students who complete the mindful eating program immediately to students in a waitlist control group to see whether participation in the program leads to greater improvements in well-being and eating behavior outcomes. Participants will sign up online and provide informed consent, be randomly assigned to either the intervention group or a waitlist control group, receive daily mindful eating tasks and reminders via Telegram for 21 days (intervention group), reflect daily about the task with a chatbot, as well as complete online questionnaire surveys at baseline, post-intervention, and a 2-week follow-up for those who opt in.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Supportive care
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (participant)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Intervention group | Experimental | Behavioral: Mindful Eating |
| Waitlist Control | No intervention | – |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (2 listed)
- Student of Singapore Management University
- Uses Telegram
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Below 18 Years Old
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Mindful EatingThe intervention is a 21-day, digitally delivered mindful eating program consisting of daily, brief, mindful eating tasks as well as brief post-task reflections with an AI bot, designed to support eating behavior and mental well-being in university students. The program includes low-intensity mindful eating practices that can be completed independently without specialized equipment or prior training, e.g. observing one's meal for one minute before taking the first bite. Participants assigned to the intervention group receive one structured mindful eating task per day for 21 consecutive days. Tasks are delivered via a Telegram channel, accompanied by brief reminders to prompt engagement. Each task is designed to be short in duration, flexible in timing, and feasible within daily meal routines, emphasizing consistency. Participants then reflect on the tasks with an AI bot. The intervention is self-guided and asynchronous, with no in-person contact, live sessions, or direct supervision. | Behavioural | Intervention group |
Primary outcome
State Anxiety
Time frame: Enrollment to the end of intervention at 3 weeks and the end of follow-up at 5 weeks
State anxiety will be measured using the 6-item State-Trait Anxiety Inventory STAI-6. Six items (e.g., "I felt upset these past 2 weeks.") rated from 1 (Not at all) to 4 (Very much so) will be averaged. Higher composite scores indicate higher levels of anxiety.
Stress
Time frame: Enrollment to the end of intervention at 3 weeks and the end of follow-up at 5 weeks
Perceived stress will be measured by an adapted version of the 4-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). One sample item is "In the last 2 weeks, how often have you felt that you were unable to control the important things in your life? ", and items are scored from 0 (Never) to 4 (Very often). The composite score is calculated by averaging the scores of all items after reverse coding two of the items; higher scores indicate greater levels of perceived stress.
Positive and Negative Affect
Time frame: Enrollment to the end of intervention at 3 weeks and the end of follow-up at 5 weeks
Positive Affect (PA) and Negative Affect (NA) will be evaluated using the affect scale developed by Conner and Silvia, according to principles of the Circumplex Model of Affect. Participants will rate feelings such as 'Enthusiastic' and 'Hostile' experienced over the past two weeks, from a scale of 1 to 5 (1 = Not at all, 5 = Extremely). Composite scores will be calculated by averaging the positive affect items and negative affect items accordingly.
Mindful eating
Time frame: Enrollment to the end of intervention at 3 weeks and the end of follow-up at 5 weeks
Mindful eating will be measured by the 17-item Mindful Eating Behavior Scale (MEBS) which consists of 4 domains: Focused Eating (e.g. "I notice flavors and textures when I'm eating my food"), Hunger and Satiety Cues (e.g. "I trust my body to tell me when to eat"), Eating with Awareness (reverse scored, e.g. "I snack without being aware that I am eating"), and Eating Without Distraction (reverse scored, e.g. "My thoughts tend to wander while I am eating.") Each item is scored from 1 (Never) to 5 (Very often). Scores will be averaged across domains.
Eating Behavior
Time frame: Enrollment to the end of intervention at 3 weeks and the end of follow-up at 5 weeks
Eating behavior is measured by the Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire (DEBQ). Items are scored by calculating the average score for three eating styles of restrained eating, emotional eating and external eating. It contains 33 items (11 each style), each rated on a 5-point Likert scale (1 = Never, 5 = Very Often). Scores are averaged across domains.
3 secondary outcomes
Life Satisfaction
Time frame: Enrollment to the end of intervention at 3 weeks and the end of follow-up at 5 weeks
Perceived Health
Time frame: Enrollment to the end of intervention at 3 weeks and the end of follow-up at 5 weeks
AI Attitude
Time frame: Enrollment to the end of intervention at 3 weeks and the end of follow-up at 5 weeks
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 28 Aug 2026.
- BackgroundVan Strien, T., Frijters, J. E. R., Bergers, G. P. A., & Defares, P. B. (1986). The Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire (DEBQ) for assessment of restrained, emotional, and external eating behavior. The International Journal of Eating Disorders, 5(2), 295-315. https://doi.org/10.1002/1098-108X(198602)5:2<295::AID-EAT2260050209>3.0.CO;2-T
- Background: PubMed 29655657Winkens LHH, van Strien T, Barrada JR, Brouwer IA, Penninx BWJH, Visser M. The Mindful Eating Behavior Scale: Development and Psychometric Properties in a Sample of Dutch Adults Aged 55 Years and Older. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2018 Jul;118(7):1277-1290.e4. doi: 10.1016/j.jand.2018.01.015. Epub 2018 Apr 11.
- BackgroundConner, T. S., & Silvia, P. J. (2015). Creative Days: A Daily Diary Study of Emotion, Personality, and Everyday Creativity. Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, 9(4), 463-470. https://doi.org/10.1037/aca0000022
- Background: PubMed 38316898Stein JP, Messingschlager T, Gnambs T, Hutmacher F, Appel M. Attitudes towards AI: measurement and associations with personality. Sci Rep. 2024 Feb 5;14(1):2909. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-53335-2.
- Background: PubMed 1393159Marteau TM, Bekker H. The development of a six-item short-form of the state scale of the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Br J Clin Psychol. 1992 Sep;31(3):301-6. doi: 10.1111/j.2044-8260.1992.tb00997.x.
- BackgroundRussell, J. A. (1980). A circumplex model of affect. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 39(6), 1161-1178. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0077714
- Background: PubMed 16367493Diener E, Emmons RA, Larsen RJ, Griffin S. The Satisfaction With Life Scale. J Pers Assess. 1985 Feb;49(1):71-5. doi: 10.1207/s15327752jpa4901_13.
- Background: PubMed 6668417Cohen S, Kamarck T, Mermelstein R. A global measure of perceived stress. J Health Soc Behav. 1983 Dec;24(4):385-96. No abstract available.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Mindful Eating in people with Health Behavior Change, run by Singapore Management University at 1 site in Singapore.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 2 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: opening soon, as of the sponsor's last update on 28 Aug 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Singapore. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Tracy X Chen (+6591691725, Tracychen.2023@phdps.smu.edu.sg), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
State Anxiety (time frame: Enrollment to the end of intervention at 3 weeks and the end of follow-up at 5 weeks). The study lists 5 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT07784972, which also lists 8 linked publications.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 28 Aug 2026.