Associations between mindful eating and food intake in adults with type-2 diabetes mellitus: A subanalysis of the multicenter NUGLIC study.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the associations between habitual dietary intake and mindful eating, and to evaluate potential sex differences in these associations though stratified analyses. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study. Baseline data from the multicenter NUGLIC study were used. Two 24-hour dietary recalls were used to investigate habitual dietary intake, defined as the daily consumption patterns of foods and beverages, adjusted for intrapersonal variability using the multiple source method. The version of the Mindful Eating Questionnaire validated for the Brazilian population with type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) (MEQ-DM) was also used to assess mindful eating. To investigate the association between the MEQ-DM subscales and habitual dietary intake, six quantile regression models were used (p < 0.05). RESULTS: A total of 321 participants were included; the median (interquartile range) age was 61 (54;67) years, and 58.6% (n = 188) were female. The median (interquartile range) scores of the MEQ-DM subscales were as follows: disinhibition [3.0 (2.68;3.29)] and awareness [2.56 (2.11;3.22)]. Overall, an inverse relationship was observed between mindful eating scores and nutrient intake. For the awareness subscale, negative associations with energy intake were found in both women and men, while the disinhibition subscale showed consistent negative associations only among women. Significant associations for carbohydrate and protein intake (in both the awareness and disinhibition subscales) as well as total fat intake (in awareness subscale), were observed exclusively among men. CONCLUSIONS: Higher mindful eating levels are associated with lower energy and nutrient intake, with distinct sex-specific patterns. These differences should be considered when designing interventions to promote mindful eating and healthier dietary habits.