Self-Rated Health Among Meditation Practitioners - PNS 2019

Meditation has been incorporated as an integrative practice within the Brazilian Unified Health System, with potential effects on different dimensions of health, including self-rated health. The aim of this study was to describe the profile of individuals who reported meditation practice in the last 12 months in the Brazilian adult population and to analyze the distribution of self-rated health in this group compared to the general population, both globally and stratified according to sociodemographic characteristics, place of residence, health behaviors, functional capacity, and depressive symptoms. This study used data from a population-based household survey conducted in Brazil in 2019 by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics in partnership with the Ministry of Health. The study population comprised 88,531 adults, of whom 674 reported meditation practice. Proportions and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) were estimated, considering the complex sampling design of the survey. Self-rated health was categorized as good, fair, and poor. Meditation practitioners were predominantly women, white individuals, with higher educational level and a more favorable health behavior profile. A higher concentration of the “good” category of self-rated health was observed in this group, a pattern consistent across the different variables and strata analyzed. The persistence of this gradient across multiple population subgroups indicates a pattern of better perceived health, not restricted to specific subgroups. Compared to the general population, the proportion of “good” self-rated health was higher among meditation practitioners (83.8%; 95%CI: 80.2–87.4 vs 66.1%; 95%CI: 65.3–66.8), while the frequency of “poor” health was lower (0.8%; 95%CI: 0.0–1.8 vs 5.8%; 95%CI: 5.5–6.1). In stratified analyses, the most pronounced differences were observed according to depressive symptoms and functional capacity. Among individuals without depressive symptoms, the proportion of “good” self-rated health was 86.6% (95%CI: 80.6–92.5) among meditation practitioners and 70.1% (95%CI: 69.5–70.7) in the general population. Among those with depressive symptoms, these proportions were 68.8% (95%CI: 53.4–84.2) and 33.6% (95%CI: 31.8–35.4), respectively. A similar pattern was observed for functional capacity, with better indicators among meditation practitioners across all analyzed strata. These findings highlight the importance of expanding knowledge on meditation practice in Brazil and its population distribution. Furthermore, the results underscore the relevance of incorporating self-rated health into studies and monitoring strategies of mind–body practices, as it is a global indicator sensitive to different levels of vulnerability and capable of capturing integrated dimensions of physical, mental, and functional well-being (AU)