Psychology Commons^™

Effect Of The Establishment Of A 2-Week Brief Mindfulness Practice On Positive Nutritional Choices And Perceived Stress In College Undergraduates, Emily M. Larson

Honors Thesis

College students often experience weight gain, which appears to be associated with elevated levels of stress. This stress can be due to exposure to a new environment, increased responsibility, and newfound independence that comes with living away from home. As such, identification of interventions that increase healthy eating behaviors and reduce perceived stress may promote good physical and mental health for college students. Mindfulness meditation, which is associated with lowered blood pressure, heart rate, and subjective anxiety, may be one such strategy. However, no research has examined the effect of the establishment of a mindfulness meditation practice on nutritional choices. …