Barriers to meditation by gender and age among cancer family caregivers.
Anna-Leila Williams, Peter van Ness, Jane Dixon, Ruth McCorkle
Nursing Research 2012 DOI: 10.1097/nnr.0b013e3182337f4d (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional survey study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 150 |
| Population | Family caregivers to adults with cancer visiting an outpatient chemotherapy center in Connecticut; 98 women and 52 men, age range 18-84 years (mean 52.3 years). |
| Measures | Determinants of Meditation Practice Inventory, Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale, Big Five Inventory, Caregiver Reaction Assessment |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Humans Neoplasms Linear models Cross-sectional studies Attitude to health Stress, psychological Personality inventory Age factors Sex factors Adolescent Middle aged Caregivers Female Young adult Surveys and questionnaires |
| Key findings | The total number of barriers to meditation did not significantly vary by gender or age, and neither predicted barriers after adjustment. Misconceptions about meditation were the most frequent barriers for both genders. Personality trait and reactions to caregiving accounted for 32% of the variability in barriers. |
Abstract
Background: Despite solid basic science research supporting meditation's physiologic benefits, meditation remains a marginalized practice for many Westerners; observational and descriptive studies indicate a spectrum of barriers to meditation practice.
Objective: The aim of this study was to determine differences in barriers to meditation by gender and age.
Methods: A cross-sectional survey study of 150 family caregivers to adults with cancer visiting an outpatient chemotherapy center in Connecticut was conducted. The primary outcome was the Determinants of Meditation Practice Inventory. Explanatory variables included demographic characteristics, Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale, Big Five Inventory, and Caregiver Reaction Assessment.
Results: Participants included 98 women and 52 men. Age range was 18-84 years (M = 52.3 years). The highest frequency of barriers for both genders related to misconceptions about meditation. The total number of barriers to meditation did not significantly vary by gender (p = .10) nor age (p = .27). After adjusting for personality trait, reactions to caregiving, and emotional distress, gender (adjusted β = 0.81, SE = 1.70, p = .63) and age (adjusted β = 0.02, SE = 0.05, p = .67) still did not predict the number of barriers to meditation. Backward elimination in model building showed that personality trait and reactions to caregiving account for 32% of the variability in barriers.
Discussion: The total number of barriers to meditation was examined, and a difference was not found by age or gender. It is possible that differences by age and gender exist at the item level of evaluation but were not evident when evaluating total scores. Further study is needed with samples large enough to have statistical power for item-level analysis.
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 9
- Mindfulness meditation experiences of novice practitioners in an online intervention: Trajectories, predictors, and challenges. Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being February 1, 2022
- Mixed-methods evaluation comparing the impact of two different mindfulness approaches on stress, anxiety and depression in school teachers. BMJ Open July 4, 2019
- Evaluating the Meditation Practices and Barriers to Adopting Mindful Medicine Among Physicians. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine March 12, 2025
- Examining Cadets’ Beliefs about Meditation Using the Reasoned Action Approach Journal of Character and Leadership Development December 23, 2022
- The European Portuguese Version of the Determinants of Meditation Practice Inventory-Revised (DMPI-R). Mindfulness August 10, 2022
and 4 more in the library
Cites 7
- Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness Neuroreport November 7, 2005
- Long-term meditators self-induce high-amplitude gamma synchrony during mental practice Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences November 8, 2004
- Functional brain mapping of the relaxation response and meditation Neuroreport May 1, 2000
- The effects of mind-body training on stress reduction, positive affect, and plasma catecholamines. Neuroscience Letters July 26, 2010
- Enhanced psychosocial well-being following participation in a mindfulness-based stress reduction program is associated with increased natural killer cell activity. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine May 2010
and 2 more in the library