Mindfulness and Children’s Physical Activity, Diet, Quality of Life, and Weight Status

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 R2 = 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.