Comparison of Dispositional Mindfulness and Self-Compassion among Women with Normal and High Body-Mass-Index

Prevalence of obesity globally has increased in recent years, which is associated with an elevated risk of various diseases and increased healthcare expenses. Understanding the psychological determinants involved in obesity is important for the development of new interventions. Thus, the current study aimed to compare dispositional mindfulness and self-compassion among women with high and normal body mass index (BMI).
This causal-comparative study was conducted with participation of 200 adult women (100 women with high BMI and 100 women with normal BMI). Participants were selected through convenience sampling method from Tehran. Participants were asked to complete self-report inventories including the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS), and Self-compassion Scale (SCS) which were used as measurement instruments. Data were analyzed by Independent t-test in SPSS-22 software.
The mean (SD) of dispositional mindfulness score in high BMI group was significantly lower than normal BMI group: 59.3 (11.3) versus 64.5 (9.5), P The study showed that women with high BMI had less dispositional mindfulness and selfcompassion compared with those with normal BMI. It could be suggested that these psychological constructs be aimed in therapeutic interventions.