Trait mindfulness and mind-body health in students: The role of gender, race, and ethnicity.

Trait mindfulness is associated with well-being in college students, yet it is unclear whether these associations are consistent across demographics. Undergraduate students ( = 534; 33% nonwhite; Apr2018-Sep2019). A cross-sectional online survey was performed. Pearson correlations tested the relationship between specific facets of trait mindfulness and four domains of mind-body health: stress, well-being, cognitive functioning, and health behaviors. Gender, race, and ethnicity were tested as moderators. In general, higher trait mindfulness is consistently associated with better mind-body health across demographics. However, in men, some health behavior variables correlated more strongly with mindfulness. Among Black students, the relationship between Non-Reactivity and some outcome variables was null or counterintuitive. In Asian students, several predicted associations were significantly stronger. Trait mindfulness corresponds to mind-body health in college students, but relationships may not be universal. Future research is needed to replicate these findings and to examine possible demographic differences in response to mindfulness training.