Mindfulness and asthma symptoms: A study among college students.


Author: Shi L1, Liang D2, Gao Y3, Huang J4, Nolan C1, Mulvaney A1, Poole T5, Zhang H6

Affiliation: <sup>1</sup>a Department of Public Health Sciences , Clemson University , Clemson , SC , USA.

<sup>2</sup>b Department of Health Policy and Management , University of California Los Angeles , Los Angeles , CA , USA.

<sup>3</sup>c Department of Physical Education , Shanghai University of Finance and Economics , Shanghai , China.

<sup>4</sup>d Health Policy and Management , Fudan University , Shanghai , China.

<sup>5</sup>e Department of Biological Sciences , Clemson University , Clemson , SC , USA.

<sup>6</sup>f Department of Pediatrics , Wenzhou Medical University , Wenzhou , China.
Conference/Journal: J Asthma.
Date published: 2017 May 1
Other:
 Volume ID: 1-5   ,  Special Notes: doi: 10.1080/02770903.2017.1306545. [Epub ahead of print]   ,  Word Count: 251  
    INTRODUCTION: Given the known link between asthma and stress as well as the link between mindfulness and stress, we explore the possible association between trait mindfulness and asthma-related diagnosis and symptoms with a cross-sectional study.



METHOD: In 2014, we surveyed a sample of college students in their freshman year, from a public university in Shanghai, China. We used three multilevel logistic regressions to estimate the association between trait mindfulness (measured by Mindful Awareness Attention Scale, MAAS) and self-report of ever having an asthma diagnosis, ever having had persistent dry cough, and ever having had wheezing symptoms. Age, gender, household registration status, and the frequency of smog in the respondent's hometown were used as control variables in the study. The home province of the student was used as the cluster variable in the multilevel models.



RESULTS: Among the 1392 students in the analysis sample (mean age = 18.3), 47 (3.4%) self-reported an asthma diagnosis, 251 (18.1%) reported having had persistent dry cough, and 100 (7.2%) reported having had wheezing symptoms. A one-unit increase in MAAS is negatively associated with having a self-reported asthma diagnosis (Odds Ratio (OR): 0.662, 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 0.452, 0.969, p = 0.034), having had persistent dry cough (OR: 0.658, 95% CI: 0.545, 0.795, p < 0.001), and wheezing (OR = 0.747, 95% CI: 0.569, 0.981, p = 0.036).



DISCUSSION: This is the first study to suggest a link between trait mindfulness and asthma. Our finding provides evidence that people with higher level of mindfulness are less likely to have had an asthma diagnosis and less likely to have the symptoms of persistent dry cough and wheezing.



KEYWORDS: Adolescent; China; dry cough; mindfulness; wheezing



PMID: 28459349  DOI: 10.1080/02770903.2017.1306545