Table 1.
Descriptive characteristics for meditation, cancer, and health rank variables across all states (N = 50)
| Variable | Median/mean | Range/SD |
|---|---|---|
| Meditation characteristics* | Median | Range |
| Number of certified MBSR teachers | 0.16 | 0 - 1.12 |
| Hours teaching MBSR | 76.58 | 0 - 604.73 |
| Years teaching MBSR | 0.89 | 0 - 6.23 |
| Years of general meditation practice | 2.51 | 0 - 18.70 |
| Age-adjusted cancer incidence rates (2007–2011)* | Mean | SD |
| Colorectal | 50.17 | 5.32 |
| Female Breast | 123.43 | 7.32 |
| Prostate | 144.53 | 16.84 |
| Lung & bronchus | 79.36 | 16.35 |
| Melanoma | 25.66 | 5.32 |
| Liver | 10.06 | 2.55 |
| Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma | 23.07 | 2.10 |
| Hodgkin’s lymphoma | 3.24 | 0.53 |
| Cervical | 7.51 | 1.40 |
| Health ranking data* | Mean | SD |
| Overall health | 25.42 | 14.67 |
| Mental health | 24.69 | 14.56 |
MBSR: Mindfulness-based stress reduction; SD: standard deviation.
*Age-adjusted and per 100,000 population. Cancer data source: National Program of Cancer Registries: Incidence, WONDER online database. United States Department of Health and Human Services, Center for Disease Control and Prevention and National Cancer Institute: 2014.
Note: Cancer incidence data for 49 states and the District of Columbia were included; data for Nevada were unavailable because the cancer registry did not meet publication criteria for the years under consideration and was excluded from all analyses.