Mindfulness and physical education in University population. A systematic review

Abstract

The aim of this study was to review the conclusions of published papers in the last six years on the use of mindfulness in the university population. In addition, how many of these studies are applied within the field of University Physical Education were examined. Articles published from 2014 to 2020 were analysed using the ERIC, Taylor and Francis, Web of Science and SCOPUS databases, based on the PRISMA requirements and the PICO model. The following information was extracted from the selected articles: Author, year, country, language, individuals, duration, type of research (qualitative / quantitative), mindfulness program used, purpose and results. As a result, 11 articles were included. Neither study was published in Spain or in Spanish, all of which were published in English and the majority (6 articles) in the United Kingdom. The duration of the interventions varies between 2 and 12 weeks. Of the 11 articles, nine were of quantitative design, one qualitative and one mixed. The results confirm the benefits of mindfulness in university students improving their psychological health (stress, anxiety, depression, motivation, self-Acceptance) and also on a cognitive and emotional level. The mindfulness programs used were MBI, MBCT, MBSR, MBSH and MTP. Therefore, despite the corroborated benefits of mindfulness with the university population, there are few studies in the area of University Physical Education and it is considered pertinent to carry out mindfulness interventions in Spanish universities to certify its validity in students with these sociocultural features.