Mindfulness and engagement in COVID-19 preventive behavior

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Public Health
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated widespread adoption of preventive health behaviors.
• Individual adherence to these recommendations varied significantly.
• Mindfulness, previously linked to health-promoting behaviors, was unexplored in relation to pandemic-specific preventive actions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between mindfulness and adherence to recommended COVID-19 preventive health behaviors.
• To determine if mindfulness uniquely predicts engagement in these behaviors, controlling for demographic, personality, and health risk factors.

Main Methods:

• A national U.S. sample (N=353) completed an online survey assessing mindfulness and frequency of performing key COVID-19 preventive behaviors.
• Behaviors included avoiding face touching, handwashing, surface disinfection, social distancing, and self-quarantining.
• Statistical analyses controlled for demographic variables, health risk, and personality traits.

Main Results:

• Mindfulness was significantly correlated with greater engagement in all assessed COVID-19 preventive behaviors.
• After controlling for covariates, mindfulness was uniquely associated only with social distancing.
• This suggests mindfulness may play a specific role in adherence to social distancing measures.

Conclusions:

• Mindfulness is an individual characteristic associated with engagement in COVID-19 preventive health behaviors.
• Its unique predictive value is most evident for social distancing.
• Findings can inform targeted interventions to enhance adherence to public health recommendations during infectious disease outbreaks.