Contemplative Practices Behavior Is Positively Associated with Well-Being in Three Global Multi-Regional Stanford WELL for Life Cohorts

Tia Rich; Benjamin W Chrisinger; Rajani Kaimal; Sandra J Winter; Haley Hedlin; Yan Min; Xueyin Zhao; Shankuan Zhu; San-Lin You; Chien-An Sun; Jaw-Town Lin; Ann W Hsing; Catherine Heaney

doi:10.3390/ijerph192013485

Contemplative Practices Behavior Is Positively Associated with Well-Being in Three Global Multi-Regional Stanford WELL for Life Cohorts

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Oct 18;19(20):13485. doi: 10.3390/ijerph192013485.

Authors

Tia Rich¹, Benjamin W Chrisinger², Rajani Kaimal³, Sandra J Winter¹, Haley Hedlin⁴, Yan Min^{1

5}, Xueyin Zhao^{6

7}, Shankuan Zhu^{6

7}, San-Lin You⁸, Chien-An Sun⁸, Jaw-Town Lin⁹, Ann W Hsing^{1

5

10}, Catherine Heaney^{1

11}

Affiliations

¹ Stanford Prevention Research Center, Department of Medicine, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94035, USA.
² Department of Social Policy and Intervention, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 2ER, UK.
³ Penumbra, Inc., Alameda, CA 94502, USA.
⁴ Quantitative Sciences Unit, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94035, USA.
⁵ Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
⁶ Chronic Disease Research Institute, The Children's Hospital, and National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, School of Public Health, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China.
⁷ Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China.
⁸ School of Medicine, Data Science Center, College of Medicine Fu-Jen Catholic University, New Taipei City 24205, Taiwan.
⁹ Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, E-Da Hospital, Kaohsiung City 82445, Taiwan.
¹⁰ Stanford Cancer Institute, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94035, USA.
¹¹ Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.

Abstract

Positive associations between well-being and a single contemplative practice (e.g., mindfulness meditation) are well documented, yet prior work may have underestimated the strength of the association by omitting consideration of multiple and/or alternative contemplative practices. Moreover, little is known about how contemplative practice behavior (CPB) impacts different dimensions of well-being. This study investigates the relationship of CPB, consisting of four discrete practices (embodied somatic-observing, non-reactive mindfulness, self-compassion, and compassion for others), with multiple dimensions of well-being. As with other canonical lifestyle behaviors, multiple contemplative practices can be integrated into one's daily routine. Thus, it is critical to holistically consider these behaviors, extending them beyond a simple uni-dimensional measure (e.g., daily mindfulness meditation practice). We developed an integrative measure of four types of contemplative practice and found it to be significantly associated with a multi-dimensional measure of well-being. Importantly, our findings were from three large global multi-regional cohorts and compared against better-understood lifestyle behaviors (physical activity). Data were drawn from California/San Francisco Bay Area, (n = 6442), Hangzhou City (n = 10,268), and New Taipei City (n = 3033). In all three cohorts, we found statistically significant (p < 0.05) positive associations between CPB and well-being, both overall and with all of the constituent domains of well-being, comparable to or stronger than the relationship with physical activity across most well-being outcomes. These findings provide robust and cross-cultural evidence for a positive association between CPB and well-being, illuminate dimensions of well-being that could be most influenced by CPB, and suggest CPB may be useful to include as part of fundamental lifestyle recommendations for health and well-being.

Keywords: WELL for life; contemplative practices; health promotion; meditation; mindfulness; well-being.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

Empathy
Humans
Meditation* / methods
Mindfulness* / methods
San Francisco

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Grants and funding