Assessing “Western” Mindfulness Among Thai Theravāda Buddhist Monks

Christopher, Michael; Christopher, Varinthorn; Charoensuk, Sukjai

doi:10.1080/13674670802651487

Cited by 54 publications

(33 citation statements)

References 29 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The scale exhibits good internal consistency (Cronbach’s α=0.82–0.87) and high test–retest reliability over a 1-month period (intraclass correlation=0.81, p <0.0001) [20, 50]. The MAAS score has been shown to be positively related to long-term meditation experience, where Zen meditators were shown to have higher MAAS scores than age-and sex-matched community members [20], and Thai monks showed higher MAAS scores than Thai or American students [51]. A systematic review and meta-analysis showed randomized controlled trials that evaluate impacts of mindfulness training on self-reported mindfulness scores, including the MAAS, show overall improvements in self-reported mindfulness in relation to wait-list control groups, but not in relation to active control groups [48], which is somewhat concerning.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Associations of Dispositional Mindfulness with Obesity and Central Adiposity: the New England Family Study

et al. 2015

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Purpose To evaluate whether dispositional mindfulness (defined as the ability to attend nonjudgmentally to one’s own physical and mental processes) is associated with obesity and central adiposity. Methods Study participants (n=394) were from the New England Family Study, a prospective birth cohort, with median age 47 years. Dispositional mindfulness was assessed using the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS). Central adiposity was assessed using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scans with primary outcomes android fat mass and android/gynoid ratio. Obesity was defined as body mass index ≥30 kg/m2. Results Multivariable-adjusted regression analyses demonstrated that participants with low vs. high MAAS scores were more likely to be obese (prevalence ratio for obesity= 1.34 (95 % confidence limit (CL): 1.02, 1.77)), adjusted for age, gender, race/ethnicity, birth weight, childhood socioeconomic status, and childhood intelligence. Furthermore, participants with low vs. high MAAS level had a 448 (95 % CL 39, 857) g higher android fat mass and a 0.056 (95 % CL 0.003, 0.110) greater android/gynoid fat mass ratio. Prospective analyses demonstrated that participants who were not obese in childhood and became obese in adulthood (n=154) had −0.21 (95 % CL −0.41, −0.01; p=0.04) lower MAAS scores than participants who were not obese in childhood or adulthood (n=203). Conclusions Dispositional mindfulness may be inversely associated with obesity and adiposity. Replication studies are needed to adequately establish whether low dispositional mindfulness is a risk factor for obesity and adiposity.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Associations of Dispositional Mindfulness with Obesity and Central Adiposity: the New England Family Study

et al. 2015

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…29 A systematic review and meta-analysis showed randomized controlled trials that evaluate impacts of mindfulness training on self-reported mindfulness scores, including the MAAS, exhibit overall improvements in self-reported mindfulness in relation to wait-list control groups, but not in relation to active control groups. 7 The convergent and discriminant validity of the MAAS has been evaluated, and it appears to measure a distinct construct where higher scorers on the MAAS tend to be more aware of and receptive to inner experiences and are more mindful of their overt behavior.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Associations of Mindfulness with Glucose Regulation and Diabetes

et al. 2016

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Objective To evaluate whether dispositional mindfulness is associated with glucose regulation and type 2 diabetes. Methods Study participants (N = 399) were from the New England Family Study, a prospective birth cohort, with median age 47 years. Dispositional mindfulness was assessed using the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS). Type 2 diabetes and “normal plasma glucose” were defined using American Diabetes Association criteria. Results Multivariable-adjusted regression analyses demonstrated that participants with high versus low MAAS scores were significantly more likely to have normal plasma glucose levels (prevalence ratio = 1.35 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.08,1.87)), and were not significantly associated with type 2 diabetes (prevalence ratio = 0.83, 95% CI: 0.38,1.79), adjusted for age, sex, race/ethnicity, family history of diabetes and childhood socioeconomic status. Mediation analyses provided evidence of mediation via obesity and sense of control, where indirect effects were prevalence ratios (95% CI) of 1.03 (1.00,1.10) and 1.08 (1.00,1.21), respectively. Conclusions Dispositional mindfulness may be associated with better glucose regulation, in part because of a lower likelihood of obesity and greater sense of control among participants with higher levels of mindfulness. These findings need to be replicated by prospective studies to establish causality and to evaluate potential implications for mindfulness-based interventions to reduce risk of type 2 diabetes.

show abstract

“…A mean score is calculated (range 1.00–6.00), where higher scores reflect greater self-reported attention and awareness, or “dispositional mindfulness.” The scale exhibits good internal consistency (Cronbach’s α =0.82–0.87) and high test-retest reliability over a 1-month period (intraclass correlatio n =0.81, p <0.0001) [21, 32]. The MAAS score has been shown to be positively related to long-term meditation experience, where Zen meditators were shown to have higher MAAS scores than age- and sex-matched community members [21], and Thai monks showed higher MAAS scores than Thai or American students [33]. A systematic review and meta-analysis showed randomized controlled trials that evaluate impacts of mindfulness training on self-reported mindfulness scores, including the MAAS, show overall improvements in self-reported mindfulness in relation to wait-list control groups, but not in relation to active control groups [34].…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Positive Associations of Dispositional Mindfulness with Cardiovascular Health: the New England Family Study

et al. 2014

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background Mindfulness (the ability to attend nonjudgmentally to one’s own physical and mental processes) is receiving substantial interest as a potential determinant of health. However, little is known whether mindfulness is associated with cardiovascular health. Purpose The aim of this study is to evaluate whether dispositional mindfulness is associated with cardiovascular health. Method Study participants (n=382) were from the New England Family Study, born in Providence, RI, USA, with mean age 47 years. Dispositional mindfulness was assessed using the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS). Cardiovascular health was assessed based on American Heart Association criteria. Cross-sectional multivariable-adjusted log binomial regression analyses were performed. Results Analyses demonstrated that those with high vs. low MAAS had prevalence ratio (PR) for good cardiovascular health of 1.83 (95 % confidence interval (CI) 1.07, 3.13), adjusted for age, gender, and race/ethnicity. There were significant associations of high vs. low mindfulness with non-smoking (PR=1.37, 95 % CI 1.06, 1.76), body mass index <25 kg/m2 (PR=2.17, 95 % CI 1.16, 4.07), fasting glucose <100 mg/dL (PR = 1.47, 95 % CI 1.06, 2.04), and high physical activity (PR = 1.56, 95 % CI 1.04, 2.35), but not blood pressure, total cholesterol, or fruit/vegetable consumption. Exploratory mediation analyses suggested that sense of control and depressive symptomatology may be mediators. Conclusion This study demonstrated preliminary cross-sectional evidence that dispositional mindfulness is positively associated with cardiovascular health, with the associations particularly driven by smoking, body mass index, fasting glucose, and physical activity. If in future research mindfulness-based practices are found to consistently improve cardio-vascular disease risk factors, such interventions may have potential to strengthen effects of cardiovascular health promotion programs.

show abstract

Assessing “Western” Mindfulness Among Thai Theravāda Buddhist Monks

Cited by 54 publications

References 29 publications

Associations of Dispositional Mindfulness with Obesity and Central Adiposity: the New England Family Study

Associations of Dispositional Mindfulness with Obesity and Central Adiposity: the New England Family Study

Associations of Mindfulness with Glucose Regulation and Diabetes

Positive Associations of Dispositional Mindfulness with Cardiovascular Health: the New England Family Study

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About