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Applications and Interventions for Nutrition Education and Behavior Change (Oral Session 17)

(OR17-01-25) Exploring Neurophysiological Engagement in a Healthy Eating Program Inspired by African Heritage

Tuesday, June 3, 2025
8:30 AM - 8:42 AM ET
Location: S230 E-H

    Presenting Author(s)

  • April J. Stull, Ph.D, RDN, FAND (she/her/hers)

    Associate Professor
    Baylor University
    Waco, Texas, United States

    Disclosure(s): California Walnut Commission Scientific Advisory Board: Advisory Committee/Board Member (Ongoing)
    Potatoes USA Scientific Advisory Board: Advisory Committee/Board Member (Ongoing)

    • Co-Author(s)

  • SJ

    Sydney Johns, BS

    Baylor University
    Waco, Texas, United States

  • CD

    Cassidy Dudley

    Baylor University
    Waco, Texas, United States

  • KM

    Karen K. Melton, Ph.D

    Baylor University
    Waco, Texas, United States

Objectives: Program engagement is often self-reported, limiting the capture of second-by-second (i.e., in-situ) participant experiences. Advances in wearable technologies provide new methods for measuring in-situ engagement. This study aims to assess participants' in-situ engagement, measured through neurophysiological scores, during a culturally tailored healthy eating program.

Methods: Nineteen African American participants (≥18 years, BMI ≥25 kg/m²) completed a 6-week plant-based healthy eating program, A Taste of African Heritage (Oldways). Each weekly session included three segments: lessons (e.g., history, nutrition education, and health benefits of traditional foods), activities, and cooking demonstrations. Psychological engagement was assessed using self-reported surveys on participants' perceived engagement in each session segment (subjective measure). Neurophysiological engagement was measured using heart rate sensors (Scosche Rhythm 24) worn on the forearm during each session (objective measure), with data analyzed via Immersion Neuroscience Software (INS) platform. INS infers neural states through heart rate data linked to dopamine and oxytocin activity. The INS algorithm combines attention (dopamine binding) and emotional resonance (oxytocin release) to produce engagement scores ranging from 1 (disengaged) to 100 (fully engaged) in second-by-second increments.

Results: Preliminary analysis using repeated measures ANOVA showed a significant effect of session segments on neurophysiological engagement, F(2, 36) = 8.25, p = 0.001. Pairwise comparisons showed higher engagement during the cooking demonstrations vs lessons (48.14 ± 10.55 vs 45.11 ± 11.27; p = 0.004; Mean ± SD) with no significant differences observed between other session segments. Also, no significant effect of session segments on psychological engagement was observed.

Conclusions: Engagement varied across session segments, with cooking demonstrations eliciting the highest neurophysiological engagement. The lack of significant psychological engagement effects across session segments suggests that objective neurophysiological measures may capture unique aspects of participants’ experiences in a healthy eating program that are not reflected in self-reported data.

Funding Sources: Baylor HSD Collaborative Research Grant and ONE-URC Grant