Diet with M.E. is a mindful eating intervention which is being developed as part of a Masters by Research by an IADT student.
It is in the early development stage. The researchers are looking for volunteers to take part in a 10 day trial of the intervention.
Participants in this trial will be asked to complete a mindful eating task each day. They will be reminded to complete the task via SMS.
The purpose of this research is to explore the participant’s experience with a 10 day trial of a mindful eating intervention.
Invitation You are being invited to consider taking part in this research study. This project is being undertaken by Eavan McCarthy. The project is funded by the Institutes of Technology in Ireland scholarship scheme and is being conducted in pursuit of a Masters by Research from Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology . Before you decide whether or not you wish to take part, it is important for you to understand why this research is being done and what it will involve. Please take time to read this information carefully and discuss it with friends and relatives if you wish. Ask us if there is anything that is unclear or if you would like more information.
This study has been approved by the IADT Institute Research Ethics Committee.
You are free to decide whether you wish to take part or not. Participation is on a voluntary basis and you are free to leave the study at any time should you wish to do so.
If you are available to take part in the study you will be asked to fill in a questionnaire related to you awareness while eating. Each day for ten days you will be asked to complete a task. Tasks are designed to fit into your day and no task should take longer than 20 minutes. You will also be asked to provide your phone number so that you can be texted reminders to complete your tasks throughout the intervention. At the end of each task you will be asked to provide feedback on the task. As well as this, at the end of the 10 days you will be asked to provide feedback on the intervention in general and asked to complete another questionnaire on your attention while eating.
The research topic of this study is eating behaviour, which may be a sensitive topic for some individuals, therefore the researchers advise that anyone who feels uncomfortable discussing their eating behaviour abstain from the study. This is because a discussion on eating behaviour may become upsetting or distressing.
This program aims to train participants in mindful eating, therefore one of the benefits of participating may be that you will gain mindful eating skills
The data collected will be analysed and used to re-design and develop a longer version of the intervention. The findings from this study will be included in the results section of the MSc by Research to be submitted to IADT. The data may be published in the future and participants should indicate on the consent form whether they would like to be sent a copy of any published research containing data from the trial.
If you have a concern about any aspect of this study, you may wish to speak to the researchers who will do their best to answer your questions. You should contact Eavan McCarthy (eavan.mccarthy@student.iadt.ie) or Eavan’s supervisors John Greaney (john.greaney@iadt.ie ) and Stefan Paz Berrios (stefan.pazberrios@iadt.ie). Thank you
Mindfulness is derived from the Theravada tradition of Buddhism. Jon Kabat-Zinn adopted the practice to be used in clinical settings in the West as a form of treatment for suffering in a wide range of contexts. He defines mindfulness as “paying attention in a particular way; on purpose, in the present moment and non-judgementally”.
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Mindful eating interventions are based on the principle of non-judgmental awareness of, not only the taste of the foods we choose, but also their nourishing qualities. Learning to be aware of the bodies satiety level and response to food is key to the practice of mindful eating.
Learn moreEavan McCarthy is a Masters by Research student at Dun Laoghaire, Institute or Art, Design and Technology. This intervention is part of her research. The project is supervised by Dr. John Greaney and Stefan Paz Berrios.
