13-07-2017 | ORIGINAL PAPER
Mindfulness and Children’s Physical Activity, Diet, Quality of Life, and Weight Status
Gepubliceerd in: Mindfulness | Uitgave 1/2018
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Our purpose was to examine the relationship of mindfulness with weight status, physical activity, screen time, diet (fruit, vegetable, and junk food intake), and health-related quality of life in children living in a low-socioeconomic status community. Children (N = 754; 8–13 years) completed surveys, and height and weight were measured. Regression analysis evaluated the relationship of mindfulness with weight status (body mass index percentile), physical activity, screen time, diet, health-related quality of life, and dummy-coded moderator race, grade, and sex. Average mindfulness was 23.4 ± 9.5 and was higher in black children (24.4 ± 9.3) vs. multi-racial/other children (22.1 ± 9.7), boys (24.2 ± 9.2) vs. girls (22.6 ± 9.8), and in sixth (25.1 ± 9.4) vs. fifth (23.0 ± 9.2) or fourth (21.9 ± 9.8) graders. Overall, the model was significant (adjusted R
2 = 0.201, P < .001). Grade level (fourth grade, β = −0.163, P = .002 and fifth grade, β = −0.144, P = .007), junk food intake (β = −0.160, P = .001), and parent- and autonomy-related (β = −0.136, P = .017) and psychological quality of life (β = 0.416, P < .001) were associated with mindfulness. Psychological and parent- and autonomy-related quality of life and junk food intake accounted for a small percentage of variance in mindfulness, with parent-related quality of life contributing in the unexpected direction. Mindfulness may have benefits not captured in this study, but more research is needed on its relationship with health variables.