US parents’ acceptance of learning about mindfulness practices for parents and children: National cross-sectional survey

Abstract

Background: Mindfulness practices are associated with improved health and well-being for children. Few studies have assessed parents’ acceptance of learning about mindfulness practices. Objective: This study aims to assess parents’ beliefs and interest in learning about mindfulness, including from their health care provider, and differences across demographic backgrounds. Methods: We conducted a national cross-sectional survey of parents with children aged 0-18 years in October 2018. Measures included beliefs and interest in learning about mindfulness. These measures were compared across demographic backgrounds using chi-square analysis. Multivariate linear and logistic regression analyses were used to perform adjusted comparisons between demographic backgrounds. Results: Participants (N=3000) were 87% (n=2621) female and 82.5% (n=2466) Caucasian. Most (n=1913, 64.2%) reported beliefs that mindfulness can be beneficial when parenting, 56.4% (n=1595) showed interest in learning about mindfulness to help their child stay healthy, and 40.8% (n=1214) reported interest in learning about mindfulness from their health care provider. Parents with a college degree 49.6% (n=444) were more likely to report interest in learning about mindfulness from a health care provider compared to those without 37.1% (n=768; P