Background: Obesity and overweight have increased as common health challenges among medical students. Mindful eating and physical activity are closely related to weight regulation. This study aimed to investigate the associations among mindful eating, physical activity, and anthropometric indices among medical clinical interns.
Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2025 on 165 medical interns in the teaching hospitals of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire, a 28-item Mindful Eating Questionnaire, and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. Anthropometric indices included body mass index (BMI) and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR). A significance level of 0.05 was considered.
Findings: Total mindful eating score and physical activity were significantly associated with a lower likelihood of overweight/obesity in both sexes. In men, the odds of overweight/obesity decreased with higher mindful eating (OR = 0.90, 95% CI: 0.84–0.97) and physical activity (OR = 0.95, 95% CI: 0.91–0.99), Similar associations were observed in women (mindful eating: OR = 0.88, 95% CI: 0.82–0.94; physical activity: OR = 0.94, 95% CI: 0.90–0.98).
Total mindful eating and physical activity were also significantly associated with a lower likelihood of abdominal obesity in both men and women (In order: men OR = 0.88, 95% CI: 0.74–0.95; women OR = 0.89, 95% CI: 0.71–0.98; men OR = 0.93, 95% CI: 0.85–0.97; women OR = 0.90, 95% CI: 0.81–0.97)
Conclusion: Given the high prevalence of obesity in this group, educational interventions to promote mindful eating and increase physical activity during clinical training are recommended.