Can Yoga and Meditation Practice Motivate Teenagers to Adopt a Healthier Lifestyle: An Epidemiological Study.
Saumya Subramanian, Anuradha Rajaram, Pravin Sangle, Dipika Mahapatra, Divya Kanchibhotla
Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry July 1, 2026 DOI: 10.1177/13591045261446334 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Epidemiological study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 425 |
| Population | Teenagers aged 13-19 in India |
| Interventions | yoga meditation |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Lifestyle choice Mental health Teenagers Yoga |
| Key points | Teens who practiced yoga or meditation had significantly better positive affect, global health, and cognitive health than those who did not. |
Abstract
BackgroundThe rapid technological growth and the ease of access to Internet to the current generation population (Generation Z, alpha) right from their early days of life, has its both advantages and disadvantages. The present epidemiological study evaluates the impact of yoga and meditation practices on the teenagers' mental health and lifestyle choices.MethodsThe total sample size is 425, of age group 13-19, 237 were practicing either yoga, meditation or both, while 188 practiced neither meditation nor yoga. Several different parameters were assessed via the PROMIS pediatric forms. Several lifestyle habits were also assessed using subjective questions.ResultsOur study has demonstrated that teens who practiced yoga and meditation had a significantly positive effect on the parameters such as positive affect (p value <.001), global health (p value = .03) and cognitive health (p value = .02) compared to their peers who did not practice any yoga or meditation. It was also shown a negative effect on parameters such as psychological stress experiences (p value = .06), sleep related problems (p value = .41).ConclusionsAlong with the mental and cognitive health, the decisions and choices made by the teenagers who practice yoga and meditation are shown to be better than their peers in this Indian epidemiological study.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Undergraduate students | 2006 | Observational cohort | |
| Effectiveness of a meditation-based stress reduction program in the treatment of anxiety disorders Patients with generalized anxiety disorder or panic disorder with or without agoraphobia | 1992 | Observational cohort | n = 22 |
| Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness Participants with extensive Insight meditation experience and matched controls | 2005 | Observational cohort | n = 20 |
| Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity Experienced meditators and matched meditation-naive controls | 2011 | Observational cohort | |
| Long-term meditators self-induce high-amplitude gamma synchrony during mental practice Long-term Buddhist practitioners and controls | 2004 | Observational cohort |
Citations in the library
Cites 4
- The effect of yoga in improved cognitive functions in medical students: A comparative study National Journal of Physiology, Pharmacy and Pharmacology April 2, 2026
- Effectiveness of a short Yoga Nidra meditation on stress, sleep, and well-being in a large and diverse sample Current Psychology September 8, 2020
- Yoga Effects on Brain Health: A Systematic Review of the Current Literature. Brain plasticity December 26, 2019
- Mindfulness training for adolescents: A neurodevelopmental perspective on investigating modifications in attention and emotion regulation using event-related brain potentials. Cognitive, Affective, & Behavioral Neuroscience September 1, 2015