Mindfulness and physical activity for mental health: mechanisms, scalable interventions and global perspectives from diverse cultural contexts

The integration of mindfulness-based interventions and physical activity has established itself as one of the most promising approaches for promoting mental health and psychological well-being across diverse populations. There is growing evidence to suggest that these combined approaches operate through shared mechanisms (such as attentional regulation, interoceptive awareness and emotional self-regulation), whilst being easily adaptable to different cultural, clinical and community contexts.Despite rapid growth in this field, significant gaps remain. The mechanisms underlying the synergy between mindfulness and physical activity are not yet fully understood. Evidence from low- and middle-income countries, indigenous communities and culturally diverse populations remains under-represented. Furthermore, scalable, community-based implementation models are only just beginning to be systematically evaluated.We welcome contributions employing a range of methodological approaches, including randomized controlled trials, longitudinal and cross-sectional studies, systematic reviews and meta-analyses, as well as rigorous qualitative and mixed-methods research. Studies examining the mechanisms, efficacy, and implementation of mindfulness and physical activity interventions across diverse cultural contexts and populations are particularly encouragedThis research topic invites original contributions that deepen our understanding of how mindfulness and physical activity interact to promote mental health across diverse populations, settings and cultural contexts. We particularly welcome research from under-represented regions and populations (including, but not limited to, those from Latin American, African, Asian and Middle Eastern contexts), as well as methodological innovations in the design and evaluation of interventions.Topics of interest include:• Mechanisms underlying mindfulness practice: attentional control, interoception and emotional regulation.• Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) combined with physical activity: efficacy and mechanisms.• Dose-response relationships between mindfulness practice, amount of physical activity and changes in mental health.• Preferences, barriers and facilitators for specific populations in adopting combined interventions.• Minimal cultural adaptations of existing interventions (brief reports).• Community-based service delivery models in diverse cultural contexts.• Mindfulness and physical activity in vulnerable populations (adolescents, older adults, women, indigenous communities, migrants, rural populations).• Mindfulness and physical activity in educational and workplace settings.• Use of free or low-cost apps for mindfulness and physical activity (observational and pilot studies).• Moderating variables (age, gender, socioeconomic status, health literacy).• Cross-sectional studies exploring correlations between dispositional mindfulness, physical activity levels and mental health.• Digital and hybrid interventions combining mindfulness and physical activity.• Psychometric validation of mindfulness instruments across different languages and cultures.• Qualitative and mixed-methods studies on cultural acceptability and implementation.• Scalability, sustainability and integration with public health systems. Topic editors: Manuel F De La Cruz, Jorge Zamarripa Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/82637/mindfulness-and-physical-activity-for-mental-health-mechanisms-scalable-interventions-and-global-perspectives-from-diverse-cultural-contexts