No abstract

Background Mindfulness meditation has become increasingly popular over the last few years, due in part to the increase in mobile apps incorporating the practice. Although studies have demonstrated the potential of mindfulness meditation to positively impact health, little has been uncovered about what predicts engagement in mindfulness meditation. Understanding the predictors of mindfulness meditation may help practitioners and phone app developers improve intervention strategies and app experience. Objective The purpose of this study was to use the Theory of Planned Behavior and Temporal Self-Regulation Theory to determine factors predicting mindfulness meditation mobile app use. Methods The sample consisted of 85 undergraduate students with no prior mindfulness meditation experience. During their first laboratory visit, participants completed tasks to measure their executive functioning and a survey to measure Theory of Planned Behavior constructs about mindfulness meditation. Over the following 2 weeks, participants logged the days and minutes that they practiced mindfulness meditation using a phone app. Hierarchical regression modeling was used to analyze the data. Results After controlling for demographic factors, participant subjective norms (beta=14.51, P =.001) and intentions (beta=36.12, P =.001) were predictive of the number of minutes practicing mindfulness. Participant executive functioning did not predict mindfulness meditation practice, nor did it moderate the link between intentions and mindfulness meditation practice. Participant attitudes (beta=0.44, P <.001) and perceived control (beta=0.42, P =.002) were positively associated with intentions to practice mindfulness. Conclusions These results suggest that among college student populations, the Theory of Planned Behavior may be useful in predicting the use of mindfulness meditation phone apps. However, participant executive functioning was not a predictor or moderator of mindfulness practice, and Temporal Self-Regulation Theory may be less useful for explaining mindfulness meditation behaviors using phone apps over a short period of time among college students. The results have implications for public health professionals, suggesting that a focus on subjective norms and intentions may promote mindfulness meditation practice using phone apps.

The purpose of this study was to explore the physical, social, and mental health correlates of executive functioning in adults. Our sample consisted of 250 adults aged 18–55 years who participated in a survey. Participants reported on their physical health behaviors, family closeness, and mental health. Using hierarchical linear regression, the final model explained 41 percent of executive functioning in adults. Dispositional forgiveness of situations, stress, and living in a single-family home were the only significant correlates of executive functioning. These results are useful for better understanding possible mechanisms through which to improve executive functioning in adults.

Adverse and advantageous childhood experiences (ACEs and counter-ACEs) during adolescence are understudied. This study examined how childhood experiences affect youth tobacco/alcohol use. Participants included 489 U.S. adolescents (baseline 10–13 years; 51% female) from the first five waves of the Flourishing Families Project. Results of the cross-lagged model showed ACEs were predictive of early tobacco use only. Counter-ACEs in wave two and wave three predicted, respectively, decreased tobacco and decreased alcohol use in the following wave. Counter-ACEs were also correlated with reduced alcohol and tobacco use in later waves. These findings indicate the salience of counter-ACEs over ACEs in persistent and late adolescent substance use, though ACEs may be important to consider to prevent very early initiation of tobacco.

Existing literature demonstrates a strong relationship between childhood experiences and adult health outcomes. The Differential Susceptibility to Environment Theory suggests that there are several factors, including personality, that affect a child's sensitivity to adverse and advantageous experiences. A sample of 246 adults (ages 19-57) were asked questions about extroverted personality characteristics, adverse and advantageous childhood experiences (ACEs and counter-ACEs), and several indicators of adult health, including executive functioning, perceived stress levels, depression, and past smoking habits. The sample was then stratified based on level of extroversion scores with the top quartile being labeled as "extroverts", the bottom quartile as "introverts", and those in between as "ambiverts". Regression analyses were then used to assess the relationship between childhood experiences and each adult health outcome. The results of the study showed that the relationship between childhood experiences and adult health was generally stronger among extroverted individuals. These results suggest that extroverts may be more sensitive to environmental influences in childhood as compared to introverts and ambiverts. More research is needed to understand the neurobiological mechanisms that increase environmental sensitivity among extroverts.