Abstract 072: Being Mindful Is Associated With Being More Physically Active: A Study Of Stage B Heart Failure Patients

Abstract

Background: Being mindful in daily life appears to be relevant to maintain adequate psychological and physical health. An active lifestyle is essential to maintain cardiovascular health, prevent diseases, and to delay and prevent the progression of heart failure (HF). Little is known about the relationship between being mindful and engaging in healthy behaviors such as physical activity in individuals with HF. This study aimed to explore the association between mindfulness and physical activity. Hypothesis: We hypothesized that individuals with higher mindful scores would be more physically active. Methods: A cross-sectional analysis including patients recruited from the UC San Diego and the Veteran Affairs San Diego Health Care Systems between 2011 and 2014. Asymptomatic stage B HF was diagnosed according to the ACC/AHA definition, and echocardiograms followed guidelines from the American Society of Echocardiography for functional and structural cardiac assessments. Mindfulness was assessed using the Five Facets of Mindfulness Questionnaire. Weekly leisure-time physical activity was captured by the Leisure Time Exercise Questionnaire, MET-based scores were calculated, and patients were stratified into active, moderately active, or insufficiently active. Pearson’s correlations and ANOVAs were calculated. Adjusted linear regression models assessed associations. Significance for all analyses was set at p ≤ 0.05. Results: A sample of 256 patients was analyzed. Continuous PA scores was significantly correlated with observe mindfulness domain (r = 0.148, p = 0.017), but not with describe (r = 0.087, p = 0.16), act with awareness (r = 0.021, p = 0.736), non-judgment (r = 0.043, p = 0.49), or non-reactivity (r=0.07, p = 0.22). ANOVAs revealed that patients who were active or moderately active had higher scores in the mindfulness domains of observe (p = 0.017), describe (p=0.026), and the total score (p = 0.008) than insufficiently active patients. Observe domain (independent variable) remained significantly associated with physical activity (independent variable) when adjusted for age, sex, race, and ethnicity (β = 0.152, p = 0.019). Conclusions: These cross-sectional findings suggest that certain domains of mindfulness are associated with being more physically active in individuals with HF. Broadly, being more mindful, as well as identifying internal and external experiences such as sensation, emotions, and thoughts (observe) and, labeling internal experiences with words (describing), were associated with being more physically active. The directionality of these associations merits further investigation.