Objectives: Despite the increasing use of meditation and evidence-based support for its benefits, however, little is known about the characteristics of meditation use among the pediatric population in the U.S. The purpose of the study is to examine the characteristics of various meditation use (i.e., mantra, mindful, and spiritual meditation) among U.S. children.

Methods: Using 2017 National Health Interview Surveys, we examined the prevalence, patterns, and potential predictors of meditation use among U.S. children aged 4 to 17 years. Descriptive statistics, Wald F chi-square test, and multivariable logistic regression were used for data analysis (n=6,925). Data analysis was completed in 2018.

Results: Overall meditation use has increased substantially from 1.6% in 2012 to 7.4% in 2017 among children in the US. Children with chronic medical conditions were more likely to use mindful meditation. Regularly taking prescription medication had an inverse relation with mantra meditation use (Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) = 0.4, 95% CI 0.2-0.9). Children with delayed medical care due to access difficulties were more likely to use spiritual meditation, compared to those who did not.

Conclusions: Meditation use has rapidly increased among U.S. children within the past few years. Future studies aimed to explore the underlying reasons for this increase and its potential benefits for pediatric meditators are warranted.