The role of self-care in determining healthcare professions students’ mindful eating

Purpose. Healthcare professions students face demanding academic workloads, which can negatively impact their health behaviors, including eating habits. Mindful eating has recently emerged as a potential strategy to promote healthy eating behaviors. However, research on the factors influencing mindful eating among healthcare professions students, particularly the role of self-care, remains limited. This study was conducted to investigate the role of self-care in determining mindful eating among undergraduate nursing students. Methods. This cross-sectional study was conducted in a sample of healthcare professions students in Jordan (N =171). Data were collected using the Self-care Inventory (SCI) and the Mindful Eating Questionnaire (MEQ). Data analysis was performed using Pearson's r correlations and multiple linear regression. Results. The findings revealed a significant positive correlation between the three scales of self-care and mindful eating. Multiple linear regression showed that healthcare professions students' mindful eating is predicted by their self-care scores: F (3, 167) = 32.80, p < .001, R2 = .37. Self-care monitoring and self-care management emerged as the most significant predictors of mindful eating, explaining 37% of the variance in total mindful eating scores. Conclusion. This study highlights the importance of self-care in determining healthcare professions students' mindful eating behaviors. Integrating self-care practices and mindful eating interventions into healthcare professions curricula could be beneficial for promoting healthy eating habits and improving student well-being.