title: Effects of Mindfulness Interventions on Health Outcomes in Older Lesbian/Bisexual Women.
abstract: Lesbian and bisexual (LB) women are at higher risk for obesity, but no reported interventions focus on older LB women who are overweight or obese. The Healthy Weight in Lesbian and Bisexual Women study funded five programs (n = 266 LB women age ≥40); two examined effects of mindfulness interventions on health outcomes.
  
  
  
  Analysis of variance and regression measured the impact of mindfulness-based programs on health behaviors and quality of life (MCS). Outcomes were also compared between intervention sites (mindfulness vs. standard weight loss approaches).
  
  
  
  Mindful Eating Questionnaire (MEQ) subscale scores improved significantly from preassessment to postassessment in mindfulness interventions. LB women who reported an increase (top tertile) in mindful eating had the most significant increase in MCS scores (35.3%) compared with those with low gains (low and medium tertile) in mindfulness (3.8%). MEQ score increase predicted 40.8% of the variance (adjusted) in MCS score, R(2) = .431, F(6,145) = 18.337, p < .001. Top tertile increases in mindfulness were significantly related to increases in physical activity and some nutrition outcomes. Mindfulness intervention sites showed within-person improvements in MCS and fruit and vegetable intake, whereas standard intervention sites showed within-person decreases in alcohol intake and increases in physical activity level.
  
  
  
  Although weight loss was not a primary outcome at the mindfulness sites, small but significant weight loss and weight-to-height ratio decreases were reported at all five sites. Increases in mindfulness were associated with a number of significant self-reported health improvements, including a great increase in perceived mental health quality of life. Mindfulness may be a promising practice to address health issues in aging LB women.
authors.affiliation: Lyon-Martin Health Services, a Program of HealthRight360, San Francisco, California. Electronic address: ningraham@healthright360.org.
authors.forename: Natalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ingraham
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Education, HSS 321, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, California.
authors.forename: Michele J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Eliason
authors.affiliation: Heilbrunn Department of Population & Family Health, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, New York.
authors.forename: Samantha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Garbers
authors.affiliation: Lyon-Martin Health Services, a Program of HealthRight360, San Francisco, California.
authors.forename: Dawn
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Harbatkin
authors.affiliation: RTI International, San Francisco, California.
authors.forename: Alexandra M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Minnis
authors.affiliation: Department of Community & Family Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri.
authors.forename: Jane A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: McElroy
authors.affiliation: Office on Women's Health, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Washington, DC.
authors.forename: Suzanne G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Haynes
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001727:Bisexuality / Q000523:psychology*; D001835:Body Weight; D004435:Eating; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000458:organization & administration*; D018452:Homosexuality, Female / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D064866:Mindfulness; D050177:Overweight / Q000523:psychology; D011788:Quality of Life; D000072339:Sexual and Gender Minorities; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D015431:Weight Loss