Prevalence, patterns, and predictors of meditation use among US adults: A nationally representative survey.
Holger Cramer, Helen Hall, Matthew Leach, Jane Frawley, Yan Zhang, Brenda Leung, Jon Adams, Romy Lauche
Scientific Reports November 10, 2016 DOI: 10.1038/srep36760 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Secondary analysis of a cross-sectional national survey Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 34,525 |
| Population | US adults responding to the 2012 National Health Interview Survey |
| Intervention | Meditation |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Humans Chronic disease Prevalence Health behavior Life style Adolescent Middle aged United states Female Young adult |
| Key findings | Lifetime and 12-month meditation use among US adults was 5.2% and 4.1%, respectively, about 9.3 million adults in the past year. Mental health problems, especially anxiety, stress, and depression, were the most important reason for use, and 63.6% of users reported meditation helped a great deal with these conditions, though only 34.8% disclosed use to a health provider. |
Abstract
Emerging evidence suggests substantial health benefits from using meditation. While there are some indications that the popularity of meditation is increasing, little is known about the prevalence, patterns, and predictors of meditation use in the general population. In this secondary analysis of data from the 2012 US National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) (n = 34,525), lifetime and 12-month prevalence of meditation use were 5.2% and 4.1%, respectively. Compared to non-users, those who had used meditation in the past 12 months were more likely to be 40-64 years, female, non-Hispanic White, living in the West, at least college-educated, not in a relationship, diagnosed with one or more chronic conditions, smoking, consuming alcohol and physically active. Meditation was mainly used for general wellness (76.2%), improving energy (60.0%), and aiding memory or concentration (50.0%). Anxiety (29.2%), stress (21.6%), and depression (17.8%) were the top health problems for which people used meditation; 63.6% reported that meditation had helped a great deal with these conditions. Only 34.8% disclosed their use of meditation with a health provider. These findings indicate that about 9.3 million US adults have used meditation in the past 12 months; and that mental health problems were the most important reason for meditation use.
Comparable studies
Other cross-sectional and survey studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construct Validity of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire in Meditating and Nonmeditating Samples Experienced meditators and nonmeditating comparison groups | 2008 | Cross-sectional study | |
| Neural Correlates of Dispositional Mindfulness During Affect Labeling Adult participants | 2007 | Observational cross-sectional | n = 27 |
| Assessing mindfulness in children and adolescents: Development and validation of the Child and Adolescent Mindfulness Measure (CAMM). School-aged children and adolescents | 2011 | Cross-sectional validation study | n = 1,413 |
| Mindfulness and self-compassion as predictors of psychological wellbeing in long-term meditators and matched nonmeditators Experienced meditators and demographically matched nonmeditators | 2012 | Cross-sectional study | n = 152 |
| Mechanisms of Action in the Inverse Relationship Between Mindfulness and Psychological Distress Undergraduates | 2008 | Cross-sectional, correlational |
Citations in the library
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- Mindfulness-based stress reduction for treating chronic headache: A systematic review and meta-analysis Cephalalgia June 4, 2018
- Improving stress management, anxiety, and mental well-being in medical students through an online Mindfulness-Based Intervention: a randomized study. Scientific Reports May 22, 2023
- Prevalence and 20-year trends in meditation, yoga, guided imagery and progressive relaxation use among US adults from 2002 to 2022 Scientific Reports July 1, 2024
- Situating Meditation Apps Within the Ecosystem of Meditation Practice: Population-Based Survey Study. JMIR Mental Health April 28, 2023
- Experienced Meditators Show Multifaceted Attention-Related Differences in Neural Activity Mindfulness October 5, 2023
and 52 more in the library
Cites 17
- Meditation Programs for Psychological Stress and Well-being JAMA Internal Medicine January 6, 2014
- Mindfulness‐based approaches: are they all the same? Journal of Clinical Psychology January 19, 2011
- Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy, and Zen Meditation for Depression, Anxiety, Pain, and Psychological Distress Journal of Psychiatric Practice July 1, 2012
- Classical mindfulness: an introduction to its theory and practice for clinical application. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences August 1, 2009
- Effect of Transcendental Meditation on Employee Stress, Depression, and Burnout: A Randomized Controlled Study The Permanente Journal January 30, 2014
and 12 more in the library