Investigating the Effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy on Body Image and Sexual Function of Women with Obesity

The growing trend of obesity is a major concern for the World Health Organization, and in addition to causing physical problems, it is usually associated with some behavioral and psychological problems, including psychological areas related to sexual behavior; so, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy on Body Image and Sexual Function of Women with Obesity.

This research was semi-experimental (pre-test-post-test with a control group and a one-month follow-up). The statistical population included all obese women in Isfahan city in 2019. Using available sampling method, 30 obese women were selected and randomly assigned to two experimental and control groups (15 people in each group). The experimental group received a course of cognitive therapy based on mindfulness in 8 sessions of 90 minutes, while the control group did not receive any special training. Subjects of both groups were measured in the pre-test and post-test with Fisher's body image and female sexual Function questionnaires by Rosen et al. Data analysis was done using mixed analysis of variance and Benferroni post hoc test using SPSS-22 software.

There was a significant difference between the mean post-test scores of the intervention group and the control group, so that cognitive therapy based on mindfulness significantly improved the body image and sexual performance of obese women in the intervention group (P<0.05). Also, this difference has been maintained in the one-month follow-up phase.

Based on the results of the present study, it can be said that cognitive therapy based on mindfulness can be used as a suitable treatment method to improve the body image and sexual performance of obese women in counseling centers and psychological services.