A Randomized-Controlled Trial on Mobile Approach Avoidance Training for Measuring and Changing Food Preferences in Everyday Life in an EMA context

• DOI: 10.31234/osf.io/yrfpd
• Publication Date: 2022-11-23T05:00:37Z
• Authors: Matthias Aulbach; Hannah van Alebeek; Sercan Kahveci; Jens Blechert
• Keywords: Food craving; Food Choice

Introduction: Unhealthy eating behavior is a major contributor to obesity and related diseases may be driven by automatic approach tendencies towards tasty but unhealthy foods. Approach-Avoidance interventions (AAI) have been proposed as remedy retrain biases help people eat in line with their dietary goals. Mobile implementations of AAI might represent useful, low threshold intervention its effectiveness has not established yet.Methods analysis: Participants the goal changing are randomized or control groups, each completing six sessions smartphone-based AAI, which they push (i.e., avoid) pull approach) personalized food images. Intervention group participants always avoid individualized sets foods that want less often more often. In group, response directions images paired equally To evaluate contextual dynamic effects, ecological momentary assessment (EMA) measured throughout, questions about intake, hunger, stress, emotions, intentions, craving, impulsivity twice day. Additional EMA pre- post-intervention phases before after phase (4 days each) one-day follow-up four weeks intervention. Multilevel models will examine temporal covariance between bias self-reported variables well short- long-term effects on bias, craving.Ethics dissemination: The study was approved Ethics Committee University Salzburg. Results published peer reviewed scientific journals presented at conferences.Trial registration: This registered German Clinical Trials Register DRKS, registration number DRKS00030780, Open Science Framework https://osf.io/4k3q9/?view_only=4db6431fd5ee4148a97f3be7f799ea4a.