Is the practice of yoga or meditation associated with a healthy lifestyle? Results of a national cross-sectional survey of 28,695 Australian women.
Holger Cramer, David Sibbritt, Crystal L Park, Jon Adams, Romy Lauche
Journal of Psychosomatic Research July 27, 2017 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2017.07.013 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional survey analysis (observational) Longitudinal Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 28,695 |
| Population | Australian women aged 19-25, 31-36, and 62-67 years participating in the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health |
| Intervention | Yoga/meditation |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Humans Yoga Diet Cohort studies Cross-sectional studies Middle aged Women's health Australia Female Young adult Surveys and questionnaires Healthy lifestyle Exercise Health behavior |
| Key findings | Yoga or meditation practice was associated with higher odds of at least moderate physical activity, vegetarian or vegan diets, and marijuana or other illicit drug use in the past 12 months. The authors argue these mixed associations warrant considering yoga/meditation in preventive medicine while noting practitioners' potential vulnerability to drug use. |
Abstract
Objectives: To examine the relationship between yoga/meditation practice and health behavior in Australian women.
Methods: Women aged 19-25years, 31-36years, and 62-67years from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (ALSWH) were surveyed regarding smoking, alcohol or drug use, physical activity and dietary behavior; and whether they practiced yoga/meditation on a regular basis. Associations of health behaviors with yoga/meditation practice were analyzed using multiple logistic regression modelling.
Results: 11,344, 8200, and 9151 women aged 19-25years, 31-36years, and 62-67years, respectively, were included of which 29.0%, 21.7%, and 20.7%, respectively, practiced yoga/meditation. Women practicing yoga/meditation were significantly more likely to report at least moderate physical activity levels (OR=1.50-2.79), to follow a vegetarian (OR=1.67-3.22) or vegan (OR=2.26-3.68) diet, and to report the use of marijuana (OR=1.28-1.89) and illicit drugs in the last 12 months (OR=1.23-1.98).
Conclusions: Yoga/meditation practice was associated with higher physical activity levels, a higher likelihood of vegetarian or vegan diet use, and a higher likelihood of drug use. While health professionals should keep the potential vulnerability of yoga/meditation practitioners to drug use in mind, the positive associations of yoga/meditation with a variety of positive health behaviors warrant its consideration in preventive medicine and healthcare.
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
Cited by 8
- Efficacy of mHealth aided 12-week meditation and breath intervention on change in burnout and professional quality of life among health care providers of a tertiary care hospital in north India: a randomized waitlist-controlled trial. Frontiers in Public Health 2023
- The Mindful Brain at Rest: Neural Oscillations and Aperiodic Activity in Experienced Meditators Mindfulness October 1, 2024
- Pranayama: Bridging Ancient Wisdom and Modern Science for Holistic Well-Being Contemporaneity of English Language and Literature in the Robotized Millennium June 20, 2026
- Amrutha Yoga (Aithal Yoga) as a New Yoga for Healthy Aging and Cognitive Wellness: A Conceptual and Exploratory Research Based Proposal Poornaprajna International Journal of Philosophy & Languages May 31, 2026
- Self-administered complementary and alternative methods of treating mental disorders among students in Wrocław: a cross-sectional study. Frontiers in Public Health 2025
and 3 more in the library
Cites 8
- Psilocybin can occasion mystical-type experiences having substantial and sustained personal meaning and spiritual significance Psychopharmacology July 7, 2006
- Mystical-type experiences occasioned by psilocybin mediate the attribution of personal meaning and spiritual significance 14 months later Journal of Psychopharmacology May 30, 2008
- Prevalence, patterns, and predictors of meditation use among US adults: A nationally representative survey. Scientific Reports November 10, 2016
- Evaluation of Yoga for Preventing Adolescent Substance Use Risk Factors in a Middle School Setting: A Preliminary Group-Randomized Controlled Trial. Journal of Youth and Adolescence May 31, 2016
- The prevalence and characteristics of young and mid-age women who use yoga and meditation: results of a nationally representative survey of 19,209 Australian women. Complementary Therapies in Medicine April 2011
and 3 more in the library