This study aimed to examine the associations between psychological factors, eating attitudes, and mindful eating among undergraduate health sciences students. A cross-sectional correlational design was employed with 468 university students. Data were collected using validated self-report instruments, including the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale, Mindful Eating Questionnaire, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and Psychological Well-Being Scale–Short Form. Descriptive statistics, Spearman correlation analyses, and multiple linear regression analyses were conducted using SPSS 25.0. Significant positive correlations were found between mindful eating and psychological well-being (r = .298, p < .001) and mindfulness (r = .266, p < .001). Mindfulness was also positively associated with psychological well-being (r = .283, p < .001). A strong negative correlation was observed between psychological well-being and self-esteem (r = − .795, p < .001), while weak negative correlations were identified between self-esteem and both mindful eating (r = − .219, p < .001) and mindfulness (r = − .252, p < .001). In regression analyses, the overall model was statistically significant and explained a small but meaningful proportion of the variance in mindful eating (R² = 0.104, p < .001). Emotional eating related variables and body perception accounted for additional variance in mindful eating (R² = 0.047, p < .001). Mindfulness and psychological well-being were significantly associated with mindful eating, whereas self-esteem was not independently associated with mindful eating in the regression model. These findings suggest the potential importance of incorporating mindfulness- and emotion-focused components into interventions targeting eating behaviors among health sciences students.
Sarı et al. (Mon,) studied this question.