Resumen

MARIN-MARIN, Grecia Michel; MARTINEZ-VAZQUEZ, Yadira Vianet  y  HERNANDEZ-LEONARDO, Fernando. Reflections on the effectiveness and challenges of brief interventions in modifying university students’ eating habits. J. Behav. Feed. [online]. 2026, vol.5, n.10, pp.59-72.  Epub 22-Mayo-2026. ISSN 2954-4947.  https://doi.org/10.32870/jbf.v5i10.96.

The university stage represents a critical period for the establishment of eating habits, where biopsychosocial factors converge and may foster unhealthy food choices. In response to this issue, brief interventions (BI), characterized by their short duration and low cost, have demonstrated effectiveness in promoting behavioral change among young people when incorporating components such as specific goals (SMART), feedback, monitoring, and periodic reinforcement. The objective of this perspective article is to integrate the available evidence on the effectiveness of BI in university populations, identify their effective components, and analyze them through the lens of Relational Frame Theory (RFT). From this framework, BI can be understood as contexts that transform the function of verbal rules, thereby promoting flexibility and behavioral adherence. However, their effectiveness is conditioned by social and cultural barriers, such as limited income, the low availability of healthy food on campuses, and norms that legitimize the consumption of foods with poor nutritional quality. To address these limitations, it is proposed to complement SMART goals with value clarification processes, as conceptualized in the Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), in order to align behavioral objectives with stable life directions such as self-care and academic performance. In conclusion, the reviewed evidence suggests that the effectiveness of BI depends less on their duration and more on their adjustment to the student context and their capacity to modify the verbal rules that guide eating behavior.

Palabras llave : brief interventions; eating habits; eating behavior; university students.

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