COMPARING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF MEDITATION APPS VERSUS TRADITIONAL STRESS MANAGEMENT CLASSES ON BLOOD GLUCOSE VARIABILITY

Abstract

Background: Psychological stress is a major contributor to impaired glucose regulation and metabolic instability. Conventional stress management classes provide limited accessibility and variable adherence, whereas smartphone-based mindfulness applications offer flexible, continuous engagement. This study explored the comparative effectiveness of a digital mindfulness intervention versus traditional stress management classes in stabilizing blood glucose variability among adults with impaired glucose control.

Objective: To evaluate whether smartphone-based mindfulness practice achieves greater improvements in glucose variability, stress reduction, and autonomic function compared with in-person stress management sessions.

Methods: A 12-week randomized controlled trial was conducted in South Punjab over 12 weeks, enrolling 120 adults aged 30–60 years with elevated fasting glucose but not meeting diabetes diagnostic criteria. Participants were randomly assigned to either a mindfulness meditation app group (n=60) or a traditional stress management class group (n=60). Outcomes were measured using continuous glucose monitoring for glucose variability, the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) for stress levels, and heart rate variability (HRV) for autonomic balance. Data were analyzed using independent t-tests and repeated-measures ANOVA, assuming normal distribution of values.

Results: The mindfulness app group showed a significantly greater reduction in glucose standard deviation (from 38.4 ± 7.2 mg/dL to 29.7 ± 6.5 mg/dL, p < 0.001) compared to the class group (from 37.9 ± 7.0 mg/dL to 33.8 ± 6.9 mg/dL, p = 0.02). Mean stress scores decreased more substantially in the app group (−7.7 ± 3.5) than in the class group (−5.2 ± 3.8, p = 0.01). HRV indices improved significantly in the app group, indicating enhanced parasympathetic activity and reduced autonomic stress burden.

Conclusion: Mindfulness-based mobile applications proved more effective than traditional stress management classes in improving glucose stability, reducing perceived stress, and enhancing autonomic regulation. These findings support the use of digital mindfulness interventions as practical, accessible tools for stress-related metabolic management.