An Ecological Momentary Episodic Future Thinking Intervention on Mother’s Weekly Food Purchases

Background: Imagining one’s own future (episodic future thinking, EFT) has helped mothers with overweight purchase healthier groceries during an online shopping task in the laboratory. The present study explored whether delivering an EFT intervention to participants’ devices via an ecological momentary intervention (EMI) tool would help mothers purchase healthier food at brick-and-mortar stores. Method: Participants (N = 43, mothers 31–52 years of age, BMI ≥ 24.9 kg/m² ) were randomized to EFT or standardized episodic thinking (SET). EFT cues include a positive and vivid description of future events while SET cues focus on the recent experience of playing games in the laboratory. Cues were uploaded to participant profiles on an EMI site. Participants were trained on how to read and listen to cues as well as how to detail purchases. Participants received text reminders to listen to cues before shopping and returned with receipts the following day. Receipt data was analyzed to derive dependent variables, calories, and nutrients purchased per person. Correlations were used to analyze associations between study variables of interest, and ANOVAs were conducted to compare dietary variables by group. Results: Participants in the EFT group purchased fewer calories, fewer grams of fat, fewer grams of saturated fat, and fewer miligrams of sodium than participants in the SET control group. Conclusion: Delivering EFT cues to participant devices may be a promising way to improve the calorie and nutrient content of food purchases. Future research should include a longer follow-up and analyze calorie changes over time.