Mindfulness and health behaviors: is paying attention good for you?
Kimberly C Roberts, Sharon Danoff-Burg
Journal of American College Health November 1, 2010 DOI: 10.1080/07448481.2010.484452 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional survey Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 553 |
| Population | Undergraduates at a university in the northeastern United States (385 females; mean age 18.8 years, SD = 2.1) |
| Measures | Five-Factor Mindfulness Questionnaire |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Humans Health surveys Health status indicators Population surveillance Multivariate analysis Adaptation, psychological Stress, psychological Health behavior Perception Psychometrics Students Universities Adolescent Female Statistics as topic Surveys and questionnaires |
| Key findings | Mindfulness was related to overall perceived health, health-related activity restriction, and some health behaviors (binge eating, sleep quality, physical activity), and these relationships were partially mediated by stress. The authors suggest mindfulness is linked to decreased stress, which in turn contributes to increased positive health perceptions and health behaviors. |
Abstract
Objective: the investigators examined relations between mindfulness and health behaviors in college students, as well as the role of stress in mediating these effects.
Participants: participants were 553 undergraduates (385 females; mean age = 18.8 years, SD = 2.1) recruited from a university in the northeastern United States.
Methods: participants completed questionnaires assessing mindfulness, perceived health, health behaviors, health-related activity restriction, and stress. Data were collected from September 2007 through December 2007.
Results: overall perceived health and health-related activity restriction, as well as some health behaviors (eg, binge eating, sleep quality, and physical activity) were related to the Five-Factor Mindfulness Questionnaire and were partially mediated by stress.
Conclusions: these results suggest that mindfulness is related to decreased stress, which in turn contributes to increased positive health perceptions and health behaviors. The findings support the utility of mindfulness in promoting physical and psychological health in college students.
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 20
- Examining the Efficacy of a Brief Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (Brief MBSR) Program on Psychological Health Journal of American College Health June 24, 2013
- Self-reported mindfulness and cortisol during a Shamatha meditation retreat. Health Psychology October 1, 2013
- Mindfulness and foreign language learners’ self-perceived proficiency: the mediating roles of anxiety and burnout Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development January 24, 2023
- Mindfulness facets, trait emotional intelligence, emotional distress, and multiple health behaviors: A serial two‐mediator model Scandinavian Journal of Psychology April 8, 2016
- Dispositional Mindfulness and Memory Problems: The Role of Perceived Stress and Sleep Quality. Mindfulness September 13, 2016
and 15 more in the library
Cites 13
- The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2003
- Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Assessment January 27, 2006
- Mindfulness training as a clinical intervention: A conceptual and empirical review. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2003
- Construct Validity of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire in Meditating and Nonmeditating Samples Assessment February 29, 2008
- Cultivating mindfulness: effects on well‐being Journal of Clinical Psychology May 16, 2008
and 8 more in the library