Prevalence, patterns, and predictors of meditation use among U.S. children: Results from the National Health Interview Survey.
Complementary Therapies in Medicine April 1, 2019 Claudia Wang, Kaigang Li, Susan Gaylord
Meditation use among U.S. children aged 4 to 17 years increased from 1.6% in 2012 to 7.4% in 2017, based on data from the 2017 National Health Interview Survey. Children with chronic medical conditions were more likely to use mindful meditation (adjusted odds ratio 1.9–3.6, 95% CI [1.0–7.4]). Regularly taking prescription medication was inversely associated with mantra meditation use (adjusted odds ratio 0.4, 95% CI [0.2–0.9]). Children who experienced delayed medical care due to access difficulties were more likely to use spiritual meditation compared to those who did not (adjusted odds ratio 1.7, 95% CI [1.1–2.6]). The authors suggest future studies explore reasons for the increase and potential benefits.