title: Prevalence of Mindfulness Practices in the US Workforce: National Health Interview Survey.
abstract: Mindfulness-based practices can improve workers' health and reduce employers' costs by ameliorating the negative effect of stress on workers' health. We examined the prevalence of engagement in 4 mindfulness-based practices in the US workforce.
  
  
  
  We used 2002, 2007, and 2012 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) data for adults (aged ≥18 y, n = 85,004) to examine 12-month engagement in meditation, yoga, tai chi, and qigong among different groups of workers.
  
  
  
  Reported yoga practice prevalence nearly doubled from 6.0% in 2002 to 11.0% in 2012 (P < .001); meditation rates increased from 8.0% in 2002 to 9.9% in 2007 (P < .001). In multivariable models, mindfulness practice was significantly lower among farm workers (odds ratio [OR] = 0.42; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.21-0.83]) and blue-collar workers (OR = 0.63; 95% CI, 0.54-0.74) than among white-collar workers.
  
  
  
  Worker groups with low rates of engagement in mindfulness practices could most benefit from workplace mindfulness interventions. Improving institutional factors limiting access to mindfulness-based wellness programs and addressing existing beliefs about mindfulness practices among underrepresented worker groups could help eliminate barriers to these programs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida.
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kachan
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida.
authors.forename: Henry
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Olano
authors.affiliation: Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida.
authors.forename: Stacey L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Tannenbaum
authors.affiliation: Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida.
authors.forename: Debra W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Annane
authors.affiliation: Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida.
authors.forename: Ashwin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mehta
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida.
authors.forename: Kristopher L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Arheart
authors.affiliation: European Centre for Environment and Human Health, University of Exeter Medical School, Knowledge Spa, Royal Cornwall Hospital, Truro, Cornwall, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Lora E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Fleming
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, 1120 NW 14th St, Room 1027, Miami, FL 33136. E-mail: xxy100@med.miami.edu.
authors.forename: Xuan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida.
authors.forename: Laura A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: McClure
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida.|Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida.
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003625:Data Collection; D006801:Humans; D019122:Meditation; D064866:Mindfulness / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011214:Practice, Psychological; D064906:Qigong; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D026302:Tai Ji; D014481:United States; D017132:Workplace; D015013:Yoga