1 639 88 DO SIDE-EFFECTS/INJURIES FROM YOGA PRACTICE RESULT IN DISCONTINUED USE? RESULTS OF A NATIONAL SURVEY. CONTEXT: YOGA-RELATED INJURIES ARE OF INCREASING CONCERN AS THE USE OF YOGA CONTINUES TO RISE. AIMS: THE AIM OF THE FOLLOWING STUDY IS TO EXAMINE WHETHER A NATIONAL SAMPLE OF YOGA PRACTITIONERS WOULD REPORT DISCONTINUED USE OF YOGA DUE TO INJURY FROM THE PRACTICE, ASSESS WHAT INJURIES RESULTED IN DISCONTINUED USE, DETERMINE WHAT INJURIES WERE MOST COMMON AND IDENTIFY INJURIES REQUIRING MEDICAL ATTENTION. METHODS: SECONDARY DATA ANALYSIS OF A NATIONALLY REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE OF ADULTS IN THE UNITED STATES (N = 23,393). RESULTS: LESS THAN 1% OF INDIVIDUALS WHO HAD EVER PRACTICED YOGA (N = 2230) REPORTED AN INJURY FROM YOGA THAT LED TO DISCONTINUED USE. OF THOSE REPORTING INJURY, LESS THAN ONE-THIRD (N = 4) REPORTED SEEKING MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE MOST COMMON SIDE-EFFECT WAS BACK PAIN. APPROXIMATELY, HALF OF THOSE REPORTING BACK PAIN SOUGHT MEDICAL ATTENTION. CONCLUSIONS: INJURY DUE TO YOGA IS AN INFREQUENT BARRIER TO CONTINUED PRACTICE AND SEVERE INJURY DUE TO YOGA IS RARE. 2014 2 472 25 CHARACTERISTICS OF YOGA PROVIDERS AND THEIR SESSIONS AND ATTENDEES IN THE UK: A CROSS-SECTIONAL SURVEY. YOGA IS AN ANCIENT INDIAN PHILOSOPHY AND WAY OF LIFE THAT IS BEING USED AS A METHOD OF IMPROVING HEALTH AND WELLBEING. EVIDENCE SHOWS THAT YOGA HAS SEVERAL HEALTH BENEFITS, SUCH AS MANAGING MANY NONCOMMUNICABLE DISEASES, SUCH AS HYPERTENSION, AND IMPROVING MENTAL HEALTH. THE POPULARITY OF YOGA IS GROWING IN THE UK, BUT IT IS MOSTLY UNREGULATED WITH LITTLE INFORMATION AVAILABLE ABOUT YOGA PROVIDERS AND THEIR SESSIONS AND ATTENDEES. THIS STUDY AIMED TO EXPLORE WHO IS PROVIDING YOGA; WHAT SESSIONS ARE AVAILABLE, WHERE, AND AT WHAT COST; AND WHO ATTENDS THESE SESSIONS IN THE UK AND WHETHER YOGA PROVIDERS WERE AWARE OF HEALTH CONDITIONS IN THEIR SESSIONS. A CROSS-SECTIONAL SURVEY WAS UNDERTAKEN AMONG YOGA PROVIDERS IN THE UK. THEY WERE APPROACHED THROUGH FOUR MAJOR UK YOGA ASSOCIATIONS. IN TOTAL, 407 YOGA PROVIDERS PARTICIPATED. MOST PROVIDERS WERE AGED 45-64 YEARS (69%), FEMALE (93%), AND WHITE (93%). THE MEDIAN NUMBER OF GROUP SESSIONS AND ONE-TO-ONE SESSIONS DELIVERED PER WEEK WAS FOUR AND TWO, RESPECTIVELY. THE MOST COMMON STYLES WERE HATHA (28%), IYENGAR (26%), AND VINYASA (15%). SESSIONS HAD A VARYING EMPHASIS ON DIFFERENT YOGIC PRACTICES, BUT 59% OF PROVIDERS ALLOCATED MOST TIME TO YOGIC POSES (ASANA), 18% TO BREATHING PRACTICES (PRANAYAMA), AND 12% TO MEDITATION (DHYANA) AND RELAXATION PRACTICES. MOST (73%) REPORTED THAT THEIR ATTENDEES DISCLOSED THEIR HEALTH CONDITIONS TO THEM, MOST COMMONLY MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES (41%), HYPERTENSION (25%), AND HEART DISEASES (9%). THIS STUDY SHOWED THAT YOGA SESSIONS ARE WIDELY AVAILABLE IN THE UK, OFTEN PROVIDED AND PRACTICED BY WOMEN, AND CONCENTRATE ON YOGIC POSES. SESSIONS CONCENTRATE ON THE ASANA AND TEND NOT TO INCLUDE MANY OF THE MORE HOLISTIC ASPECTS OF YOGA THAT ARE PRACTICED IN SOUTH ASIAN COUNTRIES. YOGA PROVIDERS ARE OFTEN AWARE OF HEALTH CONDITIONS BUT MAY BENEFIT FROM TRAINING TO DELIVER SESSIONS SUITABLE FOR SPECIFIC HEALTH CONDITIONS. 2022 3 386 25 BENEFITS AND ADVERSE EFFECTS ASSOCIATED WITH YOGA PRACTICE: A CROSS-SECTIONAL SURVEY FROM INDIA. OBJECTIVE: BENEFITS AND ADVERSE EFFECTS OF YOGA WERE REPORTED IN SURVEYS FROM DIFFERENT COUNTRIES. THE PRESENT STUDY AIMED TO (I) DETERMINE THE BENEFITS AND ADVERSE EFFECTS OF YOGA IN YOGA EXPERIENCED PERSONS IN INDIA AND (II) CORRELATE THESE EFFECTS OF YOGA WITH FACTORS RELATED TO THE INDIVIDUAL AND THEIR YOGA PRACTICE. DESIGN AND SETTING: THIS CONVENIENCE SAMPLING IN-PERSON SURVEY REPORTS BENEFITS AND ADVERSE EFFECTS OF YOGA IN 3135 YOGA EXPERIENCED PERSONS. RESULTS: THE BENEFITS OF YOGA WERE REPORTED BY 94.5 PERCENT OF THE RESPONDENTS. THE THREE MOST COMMON BENEFITS WERE IMPROVEMENT IN: (I) PHYSICAL FITNESS, (II) MENTAL STATE AND (III) COGNITIVE FUNCTIONS. AN ADVERSE EFFECT OF YOGA WAS REPORTED BY 1.9 PERCENT OF THE RESPONDENTS. THE THREE MOST COMMON ADVERSE EFFECTS REPORTED WERE: (I) SORENESS AND PAIN, (II) MUSCLE INJURIES AND (III) FATIGUE. THE FOLLOWING FACTORS SHOWED A SIGNIFICANT ASSOCIATION (IN ALL CASES P < 0.05 CHI SQUARE TEST; CRAMER'S V > 0.10) WITH REPORTED BENEFITS OF YOGA: (I) EXPERIENCE OF YOGA IN MONTHS, (II) TIME SPENT PRACTICING YOGA IN A WEEK, (III) NUMBER OF YOGA TECHNIQUES PRACTICED, AND (IV) WHETHER AWARENESS WAS MAINTAINED DURING THE YOGA PRACTICE OR NOT. CONCLUSION: BENEFITS OF YOGA PRACTICE TO PHYSICAL HEALTH WERE THE MOST COMMON, WITH SORENESS AND PAIN THE MOST COMMON ADVERSE EFFECT OF YOGA. YOGA PRACTICE RELATED FACTORS INFLUENCE THE BENEFITS OF YOGA. 2021 4 2661 31 YOGA IN AUSTRALIA: RESULTS OF A NATIONAL SURVEY. INTRODUCTION: THE THERAPEUTIC BENEFITS OF YOGA AND MEDITATION ARE WELL DOCUMENTED, YET LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT THE PRACTICE OF YOGA IN AUSTRALIA OR ELSEWHERE, WHETHER AS A PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, A FORM OF THERAPY, A SPIRITUAL PATH OR A LIFESTYLE. MATERIALS AND METHODS: TO INVESTIGATE THE PRACTICE OF YOGA IN AUSTRALIA, A NATIONAL SURVEY OF YOGA PRACTITIONERS WAS CONDUCTED UTILIZING A COMPREHENSIVE WEB-BASED QUESTIONNAIRE. RESPONDENTS WERE SELF-SELECTING TO PARTICIPATE. A TOTAL OF 3,892 RESPONDENTS COMPLETED THE SURVEY. SIXTY OVERSEAS RESPONDENTS AND 1265 YOGA TEACHERS (TO BE REPORTED SEPARATELY) WERE EXCLUDED, LEAVING 2,567 YOGA PRACTITIONER RESPONDENTS. RESULTS: THE TYPICAL YOGA SURVEY RESPONDENT WAS A 41-YEAR-OLD, TERTIARY EDUCATED, EMPLOYED, HEALTH-CONSCIOUS FEMALE (85% WOMEN). ASANA (POSTURES) AND VINYASA (SEQUENCES OF POSTURES) REPRESENTED 61% OF THE TIME SPENT PRACTICING, WITH THE OTHER 39% DEVOTED TO THE GENTLER PRACTICES OF RELAXATION, PRANAYAMA (BREATHING TECHNIQUES), MEDITATION AND INSTRUCTION. RESPONDENTS COMMONLY STARTED PRACTICING YOGA FOR HEALTH AND FITNESS BUT OFTEN CONTINUED PRACTICING FOR STRESS MANAGEMENT. ONE IN FIVE RESPONDENTS PRACTICED YOGA FOR A SPECIFIC HEALTH OR MEDICAL REASON WHICH WAS SEEN TO BE IMPROVED BY YOGA PRACTICE. OF THESE, MORE PEOPLE USED YOGA FOR STRESS MANAGEMENT AND ANXIETY THAN BACK, NECK OR SHOULDER PROBLEMS, SUGGESTING THAT MENTAL HEALTH MAY BE THE PRIMARY HEALTH-RELATED MOTIVATION FOR PRACTICING YOGA. HEALTHY LIFESTYLE CHOICES WERE SEEN TO BE MORE PREVALENT IN RESPONDENTS WITH MORE YEARS OF PRACTICE. YOGA-RELATED INJURIES OCCURRING UNDER SUPERVISION IN THE PREVIOUS 12 MONTHS WERE LOW AT 2.4% OF RESPONDENTS. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA PRACTICE WAS SEEN TO ASSIST IN THE MANAGEMENT OF SPECIFIC HEALTH ISSUES AND MEDICAL CONDITIONS. REGULAR YOGA PRACTICE MAY ALSO EXERT A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE EFFECT INCLUDING VEGETARIANISM, NON-SMOKING, REDUCED ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION, INCREASED EXERCISE AND REDUCED STRESS WITH RESULTING COST BENEFITS TO THE COMMUNITY. 2012 5 2236 22 THE IMPACT OF YOGA UPON YOUNG ADULT CANCER SURVIVORS. THIS STUDY EXPLORED THE USE OF YOGA BY USING A CROSS-SECTIONAL ANALYSIS OF 286 YOUNG ADULT CANCER SURVIVORS. THE AIM WAS TO EXPLORE YOGA PRACTICE, REASONS FOR USING THIS THERAPY; PREDICTORS OF YOGA USE AND ANY POTENTIAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YOGA USE AND WELL-BEING. NINETY ONE PARTICIPANTS (32.82%) REPORTED PRACTICING YOGA FROM THEIR INITIAL DIAGNOSIS. PRACTITIONERS REPORTED A RELATIVELY HIGH INTENSITY (MEAN: 7.46 H/MONTH) AND LENGTH (25.88 MONTHS) OF PRACTICE. THE MOST COMMON REASONS GIVEN FOR UNDERTAKING YOGA WERE TO MAINTAIN FLEXIBILITY AND PROMOTE RELAXATION. SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC PREDICTORS OF YOGA USE INCLUDED GENDER, HIGHER EDUCATION WITH INCREASED YOGA USE GENERALLY RELATED TO ENHANCED FEELINGS OF WELL-BEING. RESULTS SUGGEST THAT YOGA USE IS MORE COMMONLY USED BY CANCER SURVIVORS WITH GREATER RESOURCES. UNDERSTANDING MORE ABOUT THE USE OF YOGA BY CANCER SURVIVORS MAY FACILITATE THE DEVELOPMENT AND PROMOTION OF YOGA-BASED INTERVENTIONS. 2013 6 1466 34 INJURY IN YOGA ASANA PRACTICE: ASSESSMENT OF THE RISKS. BACKGROUND: THE RISK OF INJURY FROM MODERN YOGA ASANA PRACTICE IS POORLY CHARACTERIZED IN THE SCIENTIFIC LITERATURE, BUT ANECDOTAL REPORTS IN THE LAY LITERATURE AND PRESS HAVE POSED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF FREQUENT, SEVERE INJURIES. DESIGN: WE PERFORMED A CROSS-SECTIONAL SURVEY OF YOGA ASANA PARTICIPANTS ASSESSING THEIR EXPERIENCE WITH YOGA-RELATED INJURY, USING A VOLUNTARY CONVENIENCE SAMPLE. RESULTS: A TOTAL OF 2620 PARTICIPANTS RESPONDED TO OUR SURVEY. SEVENTY-NINE PERCENT WERE BETWEEN AGES 31 AND 60 AND 84% WERE FEMALE. THE MAJORITY OF RESPONDENTS LIVED IN NORTH AMERICA OR EUROPE. FORTY-FIVE PERCENT OF PARTICIPANTS REPORTED EXPERIENCING NO INJURIES DURING THE TIME THEY HAD BEEN PRACTICING YOGA. OF THOSE WHO DID EXPERIENCE AN INJURY FROM ASANA PRACTICE, 28% WERE MILD (E.G., SPRAINS OR NONSPECIFIC PAINS NOT REQUIRING A MEDICAL PROCEDURE, WITH SYMPTOMS LASTING LESS THAN 6 MONTHS) AND 63% WERE MODERATE (E.G., SPRAINS OR NONSPECIFIC PAINS NOT REQUIRING A MEDICAL PROCEDURE, WITH SYMPTOMS LASTING FROM 6 MONTHS TO 1 YEAR). ONLY 9% OF THOSE REPORTING INJURIES (4% OF THE TOTAL SAMPLE) HAD A SEVERE INJURY. THE STRONGEST PREDICTORS FOR INCREASED PROBABILITY OF REPORTING AN INJURY OVER A LIFETIME OF YOGA PRACTICE WERE GREATER NUMBER OF YEARS OF PRACTICE (P<.0001) AND TEACHING YOGA (P=.0177). OTHER ASPECTS OF PARTICIPANT DEMOGRAPHICS OR YOGA PRACTICE HABITS WERE NOT RELATED TO LIKELIHOOD OF REPORTING A YOGA-RELATED INJURY. CONCLUSIONS: WE FOUND THE NUMBER OF INJURIES REPORTED BY YOGA PARTICIPANTS PER YEARS OF PRACTICE EXPOSURE TO BE LOW AND THE OCCURRENCE OF SERIOUS INJURIES IN YOGA TO BE INFREQUENT COMPARED TO OTHER PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES, SUGGESTING THAT YOGA IS NOT A HIGH-RISK PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. MORE WORK IS NEEDED TO CLARIFY THE CAUSAL RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THE YOGA PARTICIPANT CHARACTERISTICS, THE ASANA PRACTICE STYLE, AND THE RISK OF SIGNIFICANT INJURY. 2019 7 1658 28 MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN ASSOCIATED WITH RECREATIONAL YOGA PARTICIPATION: A PROSPECTIVE COHORT STUDY WITH 1-YEAR FOLLOW-UP. BACKGROUND: YOGA IS A POPULAR COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY FOR MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN. THERE ARE FEW STUDIES HOWEVER, THAT HAVE EXAMINED THE RISKS OF RECREATIONAL PARTICIPATION FOR CAUSING MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN. OBJECTIVES: TO EXAMINE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN AND RECREATIONAL YOGA PARTICIPATION. METHODS: THIS WAS A PROSPECTIVE COHORT STUDY WITH ONE-YEAR FOLLOW-UP. DATA WERE COLLECTED VIA ELECTRONIC QUESTIONNAIRES, ONE YEAR APART. OUTCOMES INCLUDED INCIDENCE AND IMPACT OF PAIN CAUSED BY YOGA AND PREVALENCE OF PAIN CAUSED, EXACERBATED, UNAFFECTED, AND IMPROVED BY YOGA. PREDICTORS INCLUDED AGE, EXPERIENCE, HOURS OF PARTICIPATION, AND INTENSITY OF PARTICIPATION. RESULTS: THE FINAL SAMPLE INCLUDED 354 PARTICIPANTS FROM TWO SUBURBAN YOGA STUDIOS. THE INCIDENCE RATE OF PAIN CAUSED BY YOGA WAS 10.7%. MORE THAN ONE-THIRD OF INCIDENT CASES RESULTED IN LOST YOGA PARTICIPATION TIME AND/OR SYMPTOMS LASTING MORE THAN 3 MONTHS. NONE OF THE RISK FACTORS AT BASELINE INCREASED THE RISK FOR SUBSEQUENT INCIDENT CASES OF PAIN CAUSED BY YOGA. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA CAN CAUSE MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN. PARTICIPANTS MAY BENEFIT FROM DISCLOSURE OF PRACTICE TO THEIR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS AND BY INFORMING TEACHERS OF INJURIES THEY MAY HAVE PRIOR TO PARTICIPATION. YOGA TEACHERS SHOULD ALSO DISCUSS THE RISKS FOR INJURY WITH THEIR STUDENTS. 2018 8 469 25 CHARACTERISTICS OF YOGA AND MEDITATION USERS AMONG OLDER AUSTRALIAN WOMEN - RESULTS FROM THE 45 AND UP STUDY. BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: YOGA AND MEDITATION ARE PREDOMINANTLY UTILISED BY HEALTHY WELL-EDUCATED YOUNG WOMEN, BUT LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT UTILISATION BY OLDER CHRONICALLY ILL WOMEN. THEREFORE, THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO INVESTIGATE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF YOGA AND MEDITATION USE AMONG MIDDLE-TO-HIGHER AGED AUSTRALIAN WOMEN WITH CHRONIC CONDITIONS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: THIS IS A SUB-STUDY OF THE 45 AND UP STUDY INCLUDING 1925 AUSTRALIAN WOMEN AGED 53-95 YEARS DIAGNOSED WITH CHRONIC CONDITIONS (ASTHMA, DEPRESSION, DIABETES, OSTEOARTHRITIS, AND OSTEOPOROSIS). INFORMATION ON YOGA AND MEDITATION USE FREQUENCIES (CATEGORIES: 'NO YOGA', 'AT LEAST ONCE DAILY', 'AT LEAST ONCE WEEKLY', AND 'AT LEAST ONCE MONTHLY'), SELF-PERCEIVED EFFECTIVENESS AND COMMUNICATION WITH HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS WERE ASSESSED VIA SELF-REPORT. LOGISTIC REGRESSION ANALYSES WERE CONDUCTED TO IDENTIFY INDEPENDENT PREDICTORS OF YOGA AND MEDITATION USE, USING SPSS 24.0. RESULTS: OVERALL 6.8% AND 10.7% OF WOMEN REPORTED THE USE OF YOGA AND MEDITATION RESPECTIVELY. MEDITATION WAS RARELY PRACTICED SUPERVISED (11.7%), COMPARED TO SIGNIFICANT HIGHER RATES IN YOGA (53.2%). PREDICTORS FOR YOGA AND MEDITATION USE WERE MARITAL STATUS (MARRIED/IN RELATIONSHIP>NOT MARRIED/IN RELATIONSHIP), HIGHER HEALTH RELATED HARDINESS, AND HIGHER EDUCATION, WHEREAS OBESITY, AND DIABETES DECREASED LIKELIHOOD OF USE. WHILE THE MAJORITY FOUND YOGA AND MEDITATION HELPFUL FOR THEIR CONDITION, THE USE WAS RARELY MONITORED BY OR DISCUSSED WITH HEALTH CARE PRACTITIONERS. CONCLUSION: THIS STUDY FINDS THAT YOGA AND MEDITATION ARE USED BY MIDDLE-TO-HIGHER AGED AUSTRALIAN WOMEN WITH CHRONIC ILLNESSES. THE LACK OF COMMUNICATION WITH HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS IS CONCERNING AND MIGHT HINDER COORDINATED AND EFFECTIVE HEALTH CARE AROUND CHRONIC ILLNESS. FURTHER RESEARCH IS NECESSARY TO HELP UNDERSTAND POSSIBLE CONCURRENT HEALTH CARE USE AND THEREBY HELP INFORM SAFE, EFFECTIVE AND COORDINATE HEALTH SEEKING AMONGST THOSE WITH CHRONIC ILLNESS. 2019 9 2876 28 YOGA-RELATED INJURIES IN THE UNITED STATES FROM 2001 TO 2014. BACKGROUND: YOGA HAS BECOME MORE POPULAR AMONG PEOPLE IN THE UNITED STATES AND HAS BEEN TOUTED BY BOTH YOGA PARTICIPANTS AS WELL AS SOME PHYSICIANS AND RESEARCHERS FOR ITS HEALTH BENEFITS. WHILE THE HEALTH BENEFITS HAVE BEEN STUDIED, THE FREQUENCY OF INJURY AMONG YOGA PARTICIPANTS HAS NOT BEEN WELL DOCUMENTED. PURPOSE: INJURY INCIDENCE, RATES, AND TYPES ASSOCIATED WITH YOGA IN THE UNITED STATES HAVE NOT BEEN QUANTIFIED. THIS STUDY ESTIMATES US YOGA-ASSOCIATED INJURY INCIDENCE AND CHARACTERIZES INJURY TYPE OVER A 13-YEAR PERIOD. STUDY DESIGN: DESCRIPTIVE EPIDEMIOLOGY STUDY. METHODS: DATA FROM THE NATIONAL ELECTRONIC INJURY SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM (NEISS) FROM 2001 TO 2014 WERE USED TO ESTIMATE THE INCIDENCE AND TYPE OF YOGA-ASSOCIATED INJURIES. THE NUMBER AND AGE DISTRIBUTION OF YOGA PARTICIPANTS WAS ESTIMATED USING DATA FROM NATIONAL HEALTH STATISTICS REPORTS. THESE NATIONAL POPULATION ESTIMATES WERE APPLIED TO THE NEISS DATA TO DETERMINE INJURY RATES OVERALL AND STRATIFIED ACCORDING TO AGE CATEGORIES. RESULTS: THERE WERE 29,590 YOGA-RELATED INJURIES SEEN IN HOSPITAL EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS FROM 2001 TO 2014. THE TRUNK (46.6%) WAS THE MOST FREQUENT REGION INJURED, AND SPRAIN/STRAIN (45.0%) ACCOUNTED FOR THE MAJORITY OF DIAGNOSES. THE INJURY RATE INCREASED OVERALL FROM 2001 TO 2014, AND IT WAS GREATEST FOR THOSE AGED 65 YEARS AND OLDER (57.9/100,000) COMPARED WITH THOSE AGED 18 TO 44 YEARS (11.9/100,000) AND 45 TO 64 YEARS (17.7/100,000) IN 2014. CONCLUSION: PARTICIPANTS AGED 65 YEARS AND OLDER HAVE A GREATER RATE OF INJURY FROM PRACTICING YOGA WHEN COMPARED WITH OTHER AGE GROUPS. MOST INJURIES SUSTAINED WERE TO THE TRUNK AND INVOLVED A SPRAIN/STRAIN. WHILE THERE ARE MANY HEALTH BENEFITS TO PRACTICING YOGA, PARTICIPANTS AND THOSE WISHING TO BECOME PARTICIPANTS SHOULD CONFER WITH A PHYSICIAN PRIOR TO ENGAGING IN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND PRACTICE ONLY UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF CERTIFIED INSTRUCTORS. 2016 10 2740 33 YOGA PRACTICE AMONG VETERANS WITH AND WITHOUT CHRONIC PAIN: A MIXED METHODS STUDY. OBJECTIVES: THE PRIMARY AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO EXAMINE DIFFERENCES IN YOGA PRACTICE BETWEEN PERSONS WITH AND WITHOUT CHRONIC PAIN. SECONDARILY, WE DESCRIBE USE OF THE ESSENTIAL PROPERTIES OF YOGA QUESTIONNAIRE, SHORT FORM (EPYQ-SF) FOR SELF-REPORT. DESIGN: PARTICIPANTS WERE MEMBERS OF AN EXISTING COHORT OF VETERANS WHO COMPLETED A 2015-2016 SURVEY FOCUSED ON PAIN AND NONPHARMACOLOGICAL HEALTH PRACTICES. COHORT MEMBERS WHO REPORTED YOGA IN THE PAST YEAR [N=174 (9.4%) OF 1850] WERE ELIGIBLE FOR THE PRESENT STUDY, WHICH USED MULTIPLE-CONTACT MIXED-MODE SURVEY METHODOLOGY TO COLLECT DATA ON YOGA PRACTICES. THE EPYQ-SF WAS USED TO ASSESS PROPERTIES AND CONTEXT OF YOGA PRACTICE. PRACTICE PATTERNS WERE COMPARED FOR PARTICIPANTS WITH AND WITHOUT CHRONIC PAIN. TO EXPLORE POTENTIAL REASONS FOR REPORTED YOGA PRACTICE PATTERNS, FOCUSED SEMISTRUCTURED INTERVIEWS WERE CONDUCTED WITH A SUBSET OF PARTICIPANTS. RESULTS: OF 174 PARTICIPANTS CONTACTED, 141 (82%) RETURNED THE YOGA QUESTIONNAIRE AND 110 (78% OF RESPONDENTS) WERE STILL PRACTICING YOGA. AMONG YOGA PRACTITIONERS, 41 (37%) HAD CHRONIC PAIN. PRACTITIONERS WITH CHRONIC PAIN REPORTED GENTLER (2.8 VS. 3.1, 5-POINT SCALE) AND LESS ACTIVE (2.9 VS. 3.3) YOGA PRACTICE THAN THOSE WITHOUT. THOSE WITH CHRONIC PAIN ATTENDED YOGA STUDIOS LESS FREQUENTLY AND REPORTED SHORTER YOGA PRACTICES THAN THOSE WITHOUT. MOST YOGA PRACTICE WAS SELF-DIRECTED AND AT HOME. CONCLUSIONS: DIFFERENCES IN YOGA PRACTICE OF PERSONS WITH AND WITHOUT CHRONIC PAIN HAVE IMPLICATIONS FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF YOGA INTERVENTIONS FOR CHRONIC PAIN. FUTURE INTERVENTIONS SHOULD FOCUS ON ALTERNATIVE INDIVIDUAL DELIVERY FORMATS OR ADDRESSING BARRIERS TO GROUP PRACTICE AMONG PEOPLE WITH CHRONIC PAIN. 2020 11 470 24 CHARACTERISTICS OF YOGA PRACTICE AND PREDICTORS OF PRACTICE FREQUENCY. YOGA IS A GLOBALLY POPULAR MIND-BODY PRACTICE USED FOR HEALTH. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO CHARACTERIZE YOGA PRACTICE AND FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH FREQUENCY OF PRACTICE. YOGA PRACTITIONERS WERE SENT INVITATIONS VIA EMAIL TO PARTICIPATE IN AN ONLINE SURVEY. YOGA CHARACTERISTICS AND OTHER SOCIODEMOGRAPHICS WERE COLLECTED. DATA FROM 309 CONSENTING RESPONDENTS WERE ANALYZED FOR PATTERNS IN PRACTICE CHARACTERISTICS (YOGA TECHNIQUES, LOCATION OF PRACTICE, METHOD OF INSTRUCTION, TEACHER STATUS, AND YOGA TYPE). ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN CHARACTERISTICS OF PRACTICE AND YOGA PRACTICE FREQUENCY WERE COMPUTED. THE FOLLOWING CHARACTERISTICS WERE THEN ANALYZED AS PREDICTORS OF PRACTICE FREQUENCY IN A REGRESSION MODEL: LOCATION OF PRACTICE, METHOD OF INSTRUCTION, TEACHER STATUS, YOGA TYPE, AND TECHNIQUES. MOST RESPONDENTS REPORTED USE OF ALL THREE YOGA TECHNIQUES (MOVEMENTS, BREATHING, AND MEDITATION) AND PRACTICED AN AVERAGE OF 4.5 +/- 1.9 DAYS A WEEK. KEY CHARACTERISTICS SUCH AS LOCATION OF PRACTICE, METHOD OF INSTRUCTION, AND FREQUENCY SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERED BY TEACHER STATUS AND BY YOGA TYPE (VINIYOGA PRACTITIONERS VS. OTHER YOGA STYLES). IN OUR REGRESSION MODEL, BEING A YOGA TEACHER, BEING TAUGHT A ONE-ON-ONE YOGA PRACTICE BY SOMEONE ELSE, AND REGULAR USE OF MOVEMENT WERE POSITIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH INCREASED PRACTICE FREQUENCY. OUR ANALYSES PROVIDE INSIGHT INTO HOW YOGA FACTORS SUCH AS TEACHER STATUS, METHOD OF INSTRUCTION, AND USE OF TOOLS RELATE TO PRACTICE FREQUENCY. UNDERSTANDING THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN PRACTICE CHARACTERISTICS AND PRACTICE FREQUENCY MAY ALLOW FOR THE IMPROVED IMPLEMENTATION OF YOGA FOR HEALTH. 2018 12 2749 23 YOGA PRACTICE IN THE UK: A CROSS-SECTIONAL SURVEY OF MOTIVATION, HEALTH BENEFITS AND BEHAVIOURS. OBJECTIVES: DESPITE THE POPULARITY OF YOGA AND EVIDENCE OF ITS POSITIVE EFFECTS ON PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH, LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT YOGA PRACTICE IN THE UK. THIS STUDY INVESTIGATED THE CHARACTERISTICS OF PEOPLE WHO PRACTISE YOGA, REASONS FOR INITIATING AND MAINTAINING PRACTICE, AND PERCEIVED IMPACT OF YOGA ON HEALTH AND WELL-BEING. DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: A CROSS-SECTIONAL ONLINE ANONYMOUS SURVEY DISTRIBUTED THROUGH UK-BASED YOGA ORGANISATIONS, STUDIOS AND EVENTS, THROUGH EMAIL INVITES AND FLYERS. 2434 YOGA PRACTITIONERS COMPLETED THE SURVEY, INCLUDING 903 YOGA TEACHERS: 87% WERE WOMEN, 91% WHITE AND 71% DEGREE EDUCATED; MEAN AGE WAS 48.7 YEARS. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: PERCEIVED IMPACT OF YOGA ON HEALTH CONDITIONS, HEALTH OUTCOMES AND INJURIES. RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN YOGA PRACTICE AND MEASURES OF HEALTH, LIFESTYLE, STRESS AND WELL-BEING. RESULTS: IN COMPARISON WITH NATIONAL POPULATION NORMS, PARTICIPANTS REPORTED SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER WELL-BEING BUT ALSO HIGHER ANXIETY; LOWER PERCEIVED STRESS, BODY MASS INDEX AND INCIDENCE OF OBESITY, AND HIGHER RATES OF POSITIVE HEALTH BEHAVIOURS. 47% REPORTED CHANGING THEIR MOTIVATIONS TO PRACTISE YOGA, WITH GENERAL WELLNESS AND FITNESS KEY TO INITIAL UPTAKE, AND STRESS MANAGEMENT AND SPIRITUALITY IMPORTANT TO CURRENT PRACTICE. 16% OF PARTICIPANTS REPORTED STARTING YOGA TO MANAGE A PHYSICAL OR MENTAL HEALTH CONDITION. RESPONDENTS REPORTED THE VALUE OF YOGA FOR A WIDE RANGE OF HEALTH CONDITIONS, MOST NOTABLY FOR MUSCULOSKELETAL AND MENTAL HEALTH CONDITIONS. 20.7% REPORTED AT LEAST ONE YOGA-RELATED INJURY OVER THEIR LIFETIME. CONTROLLING FOR DEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS, FREQUENCY OF YOGA PRACTICE ACCOUNTED FOR SMALL BUT SIGNIFICANT VARIANCE IN HEALTH-RELATED REGRESSION MODELS (P<0.001). CONCLUSION: THE FINDINGS OF THIS FIRST DETAILED UK SURVEY WERE CONSISTENT WITH SURVEYS IN OTHER WESTERN COUNTRIES. YOGA WAS PERCEIVED TO HAVE A POSITIVE IMPACT ON PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH CONDITIONS AND WAS LINKED TO POSITIVE HEALTH BEHAVIOURS. FURTHER INVESTIGATION OF YOGA'S ROLE IN SELF-CARE COULD INFORM HEALTH-RELATED CHALLENGES FACED BY MANY COUNTRIES. 2020 13 1774 25 PRACTICE AND ACCEPTABILITY OF YOGA AMONG PREGNANT WOMEN IN INDIA: A CROSS-SECTIONAL SURVEY. THE PRACTICE OF YOGA IS BENEFICIAL DURING PREGNANCY, BUT WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT PROPORTION OF PREGNANT WOMEN IN INDIA PRACTICE YOGA. TO ADDRESS THIS RESEARCH GAP, WE CONDUCTED A STUDY TO ADDRESS FOLLOWING RESEARCH QUESTIONS: (1) WHAT PROPORTION OF PREGNANT WOMEN IN RURAL MAHARASHTRA PRACTICE YOGA? (2) WHICH SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THE PRACTICE OF YOGA AMONG THESE WOMEN? AND (3) WHAT IS THE PERCEIVED ACCEPTABILITY OF INTEGRATING YOGA-BASED INTERVENTION INTO ROUTINE ANTENATAL CARE? A CONSECUTIVE SAMPLE OF PREGNANT WOMEN ATTENDING THE ANTENATAL CLINIC OF A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL, WHO COULD FLUENTLY COMMUNICATE IN MARATHI AND WHO DID NOT HAVE ANY SERIOUS PHYSICAL ILLNESS OR COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT, WERE INCLUDED IN THIS CROSS-SECTIONAL SURVEY. A TOTAL OF 228 SUBJECTS WERE INCLUDED IN OUR STUDY. YOGA WAS PRACTICED BY 38 OF THEM (16.7%, 95% CONFIDENCE INTERVAL 12.1-22.1) DURING THE CURRENT PREGNANCY. OLDER AGE, HIGHER EDUCATION, AND BEING A PROFESSIONAL (TEACHER, HEALTHCARE PROVIDER, OR BANK OFFICIAL) WERE ASSOCIATED WITH PRACTICE OF YOGA. MORE THAN HALF OF THE PARTICIPANTS (53.9%) THOUGHT THAT YOGA SHOULD BE INCLUDED AS PART OF THEIR ANTENATAL CARE; THIS PERCEIVED ACCEPTABILITY OF YOGA WAS NOT ASSOCIATED WITH ANY OF THE SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS EXCEPT FOR THE PARTICIPANTS' OCCUPATION. THIS STUDY PROVIDES INFORMATION ABOUT THE PREVALENCE AND SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH THE PRACTICE OF YOGA AMONG PREGNANT WOMEN IN A RURAL SETTING IN INDIA. IT ALSO EXPLORES THE PERCEIVED ACCEPTABILITY OF YOGA-BASED INTERVENTIONS AMONG THIS GROUP. FINDINGS FROM THIS STUDY CAN INFORM DESIGN OF FUTURE STUDIES TO EVALUATE THE EFFECT OF YOGA-BASED INTERVENTIONS DURING PREGNANCY. 2021 14 78 29 A LARGE-SCALE SURVEY OF ADVERSE EVENTS EXPERIENCED IN YOGA CLASSES. BACKGROUND: YOGA IS A REPRESENTATIVE MIND-BODY THERAPY OF COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE. IN JAPAN, YOGA IS PRACTICED WIDELY TO PROMOTE HEALTH, BUT YOGA-ASSOCIATED ADVERSE EVENTS HAVE ALSO BEEN REPORTED. TO DATE, THE FREQUENCIES AND CHARACTERISTICS OF YOGA-RELATED ADVERSE EVENTS HAVE NOT BEEN ELUCIDATED. THIS STUDY WAS CONDUCTED TO ELUCIDATE THE FREQUENCIES AND CHARACTERISTICS OF ADVERSE EVENTS OF YOGA PERFORMED IN CLASSES AND THE RISK FACTORS OF SUCH EVENTS. METHODS: THE SUBJECTS WERE 2508 PEOPLE TAKING YOGA CLASSES AND 271 YOGA THERAPISTS CONDUCTING THE CLASSES. A SURVEY FOR YOGA CLASS ATTENDEES WAS PERFORMED ON ADVERSE EVENTS THAT OCCURRED DURING A YOGA CLASS ON THE SURVEY DAY. A SURVEY FOR YOGA THERAPISTS WAS PERFORMED ON ADVERSE EVENTS THAT THE THERAPISTS HAD OBSERVED IN THEIR STUDENTS TO DATE. ADVERSE EVENTS WERE DEFINED AS "UNDESIRABLE SYMPTOMS OR RESPONSES THAT OCCURRED DURING A YOGA CLASS". RESULTS: AMONG 2508 YOGA CLASS ATTENDEES, 1343 (53.5%) HAD CHRONIC DISEASES AND 1063 (42.3%) WERE RECEIVING MEDICATION AT HOSPITALS. THERE WERE 687 CLASS ATTENDEES (27.8%) WHO REPORTED SOME TYPE OF UNDESIRABLE SYMPTOMS AFTER TAKING A YOGA CLASS. MUSCULOSKELETAL SYMPTOMS SUCH AS MYALGIA WERE THE MOST COMMON SYMPTOMS, INVOLVING 297 CASES, FOLLOWED BY NEUROLOGICAL SYMPTOMS AND RESPIRATORY SYMPTOMS. MOST ADVERSE EVENTS (63.8%) WERE MILD AND DID NOT INTERFERE WITH CLASS PARTICIPATION. THE RISK FACTORS FOR ADVERSE EVENTS WERE EXAMINED, AND THE ODDS RATIOS FOR ADVERSE EVENTS WERE SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER IN ATTENDEES WITH CHRONIC DISEASE, POOR PHYSICAL CONDITION ON THE SURVEY DAY, OR A FEELING THAT THE CLASS WAS PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY STRESSFUL. IN PARTICULAR, THE OCCURRENCE OF SEVERE ADVERSE EVENTS THAT INTERFERED WITH SUBSEQUENT YOGA PRACTICE WAS HIGH AMONG ELDERLY PARTICIPANTS (70 YEARS OR OLDER) AND THOSE WITH CHRONIC MUSCULOSKELETAL DISEASES. CONCLUSIONS: THE RESULTS OF THIS LARGE-SCALE SURVEY DEMONSTRATED THAT APPROXIMATELY 30% OF YOGA CLASS ATTENDEES HAD EXPERIENCED SOME TYPE OF ADVERSE EVENT. ALTHOUGH THE MAJORITY HAD MILD SYMPTOMS, THE SURVEY RESULTS INDICATED THAT ATTENDEES WITH CHRONIC DISEASES WERE MORE LIKELY TO EXPERIENCE ADVERSE EVENTS ASSOCIATED WITH THEIR DISEASE. THEREFORE, SPECIAL ATTENTION IS NECESSARY WHEN YOGA IS INTRODUCED TO PATIENTS WITH STRESS-RELATED, CHRONIC DISEASES. 2015 15 1025 32 EFFECTS OF YOGA ASANA PRACTICE APPROACH ON TYPES OF BENEFITS EXPERIENCED. CONTEXT: MODERN SCIENCE AND THE CLASSIC TEXT ON HATHA YOGA, HATHA YOGA PRADIPIKA, REPORT PHYSICAL, MENTAL, EMOTIONAL, SPIRITUAL, AND RELATIONAL BENEFITS OF YOGA PRACTICE. WHILE ALL HAVE SPECIFIC SUGGESTIONS FOR HOW TO PRACTICE, LITTLE RESEARCH HAS BEEN DONE TO ASCERTAIN WHETHER SPECIFIC PRACTICE APPROACHES IMPACT THE BENEFITS EXPERIENCED BY PRACTITIONERS. AIMS: OUR AIM WAS TO RELATE THE EXPERIENCE LEVEL OF THE PRACTITIONER, THE CONTEXT OF PRACTICE APPROACHES (TIME OF DAY, DURATION OF PRACTICE, FREQUENCY OF PRACTICE, ETC.), AND EXPERIENCE LEVEL OF THE TEACHER, TO THE LIKELIHOOD OF REPORTING PARTICULAR BENEFITS OF YOGA. METHODS: WE CONDUCTED A CROSS-SECTIONAL DESCRIPTIVE SURVEY OF YOGA PRACTITIONERS ACROSS LEVELS AND STYLES OF PRACTICE. DATA WERE COMPILED FROM A LARGE VOLUNTARY CONVENIENCE SAMPLE (N = 2620) REGARDING RESPONDENTS' METHODS OF PRACTICE, YOGA EXPERIENCE LEVELS, AND BENEFITS EXPERIENCED. MULTIPLE LOGISTIC REGRESSION WAS USED TO IDENTIFY APPROACHES TO YOGA PRACTICE THAT POSITIVELY PREDICTED PARTICULAR BENEFITS. RESULTS: FREQUENCY OF PRACTICE, EITHER WITH OR WITHOUT A TEACHER, WAS A POSITIVE PREDICTOR OF REPORTING NEARLY ALL BENEFITS OF YOGA, WITH AN INCREASED LIKELIHOOD OF EXPERIENCING MOST BENEFITS WHEN THE PRACTITIONER DID YOGA FIVE OR MORE DAYS PER WEEK. OTHER ASPECTS OF PRACTICE APPROACH, EXPERIENCE LEVEL OF THE PRACTITIONER, AND THE EXPERIENCE LEVEL OF THE TEACHER, HAD LESS EFFECT ON THE BENEFITS REPORTED. CONCLUSIONS: PRACTICE FREQUENCY OF AT LEAST 5 DAYS PER WEEK WILL PROVIDE PRACTITIONERS WITH THE GREATEST AMOUNT OF BENEFIT ACROSS ALL CATEGORIES OF BENEFITS. OTHER PRACTICE APPROACHES CAN VARY MORE WIDELY WITHOUT HAVING A MARKED IMPACT ON MOST BENEFITS EXPERIENCED. 2019 16 2685 29 YOGA IN THE REAL WORLD: PERCEPTIONS, MOTIVATORS, BARRIERS, AND PATTERNS OF USE. BACKGROUND: YOGA IS A MIND-BODY EXERCISE PRACTICED BY NEARLY 16 MILLION US ADULTS. CLINICAL YOGA RESEARCH HAS YIELDED PROMISING FINDINGS IN PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH OUTCOMES. HOWEVER, RESEARCH IN NON-PATIENT POPULATIONS IS LIMITED. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY IS TO SURVEY A NON-CLINICAL POPULATION TO BETTER UNDERSTAND YOGA USE IN A REAL-WORLD SETTING. METHODS: THIS STUDY USED A PRE-POST TEST DESIGN IN A CONVENIENCE SAMPLE OF ADULTS REGISTERED FOR A 4-WEEK BEGINNER YOGA PROGRAM WITHIN A NETWORK OF FIVE YOGA STUDIOS IN AUSTIN, TEXAS. STUDENTS WERE LINKED VIA E-MAIL TO BASELINE AND ENDPOINT SURVEYS. ANALYSES WERE DESCRIPTIVE. RESULTS: SIX HUNDRED FOUR STUDENTS COMPLETED THE BASELINE SURVEY, AND 290 (48%) COMPLETED THE 4-WEEK ENDPOINT SURVEY. BASELINE DEMOGRAPHICS WERE SIMILAR TO THOSE IN NATIONAL SURVEYS, WITH RESPONDENTS BEING PRIMARILY FEMALE (86%), WHITE (88%), AND COLLEGE EDUCATED (78%). THE PRIMARY BARRIER TO PRACTICE WAS TIME (55%). RESPONDENTS PERCEIVED YOGA PRIMARILY AS AN EXERCISE ACTIVITY (92%), SPIRITUAL ACTIVITY (73%), OR A WAY TO MANAGE OR TREAT A HEALTH CONDITION (50%). MAIN REASONS FOR TAKING YOGA WERE GENERAL WELLNESS (81%), PHYSICAL EXERCISE (80%), AND STRESS MANAGEMENT (73%). NINETY-EIGHT PERCENT BELIEVED YOGA WOULD IMPROVE THEIR HEALTH, WITH 28% TAKING YOGA TO ALLEVIATE A HEALTH CONDITION. ON AVERAGE, RESPONDENTS PRACTICED 3 TO 4 HOURS/ WEEK IN AND OUT OF CLASS. CONCLUSIONS: RESPONDENT DEMOGRAPHICS WERE CONSISTENT WITH NATIONAL SURVEY DATA. DATA SHOW THAT YOGA IS PERCEIVED SEVERAL WAYS. INFORMATION ON PRACTICE PATTERNS PROVIDES NEW INFORMATION, WHICH MAY IMPROVE UNDERSTANDING OF HOW NON-CLINICAL POPULATIONS INCORPORATE YOGA INTO DAILY LIFE FOR HEALTH MANAGEMENT. 2013 17 1512 25 IS THERE MORE TO YOGA THAN EXERCISE? CONTEXT: YOGA IS INCREASING IN POPULARITY, WITH AN ESTIMATED 15 MILLION PRACTITIONERS IN THE UNITED STATES, YET THERE IS A DEARTH OF EMPIRICAL DATA ADDRESSING THE HOLISTIC BENEFITS OF YOGA. OBJECTIVE: TO COMPARE THE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL BENEFITS OF AN EXERCISE-BASED YOGA PRACTICE TO THAT OF A MORE COMPREHENSIVE YOGA PRACTICE (ONE WITH AN ETHICAL/SPIRITUAL COMPONENT). DESIGN: STUDENTS WITH MILD TO MODERATE DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, OR STRESS AND WHO AGREED TO PARTICIPATE WERE ASSIGNED TO ONE OF THREE GROUPS: INTEGRATED YOGA, YOGA AS EXERCISE, CONTROL. PARTICIPANTS: A TOTAL OF 81 UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS 18 YEARS AND OLDER AT A UNIVERSITY IN THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES PARTICIPATED IN THE STUDY. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, STRESS, HOPE, AND SALIVARY CORTISOL. RESULTS: OVER TIME, PARTICIPANTS IN BOTH THE INTEGRATED AND EXERCISE YOGA GROUPS EXPERIENCED DECREASED DEPRESSION AND STRESS, AN INCREASED SENSE OF HOPEFULNESS, AND INCREASED FLEXIBILITY COMPARED TO THE CONTROL GROUP. HOWEVER, ONLY THE INTEGRATED YOGA GROUP EXPERIENCED DECREASED ANXIETY-RELATED SYMPTOMS AND DECREASED SALIVARY CORTISOL FROM THE BEGINNING TO THE END OF THE STUDY. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA, PRACTICED IN A MORE INTEGRATED FORM, IE, WITH AN ETHICAL AND SPIRITUAL COMPONENT, MAY PROVIDE ADDITIONAL BENEFITS OVER YOGA PRACTICED AS AN EXERCISE REGIMEN. 2011 18 1349 31 IF WE OFFER, WILL THEY COME: PERCEPTIONS OF YOGA AMONG HISPANICS. OBJECTIVE: YOGA IS UNDERUTILIZED BY THE HISPANICS. THIS STUDY EXAMINED PERCEPTIONS OF BENEFITS AND BARRIERS TO YOGA AMONG HISPANIC ADULTS, TO PROVIDE INFORMATION THAT MAY INCREASE THEIR PARTICIPATION IN THIS PRACTICE. SETTING: PARTICIPANTS WERE RECRUITED FROM A COMMUNITY CENTER SERVING LOW-INCOME HISPANICS. DESIGN: SELF-ADMINISTERED CROSS-SECTIONAL QUESTIONNAIRES ASSESSING BENEFITS AND BARRIERS TO YOGA WERE CONDUCTED IN SPANISH AND ENGLISH. FISHER'S EXACT TEST WAS USED TO EXAMINE PERCEPTIONS OF YOGA BY GENDER, AGE, AND PRIOR EXPERIENCE. RESULTS: PARTICIPANTS (AGES 18-85, 65 % WOMEN, N = 121) REPORTED SEVERAL BENEFITS TO YOGA. HISPANIC WOMEN, INDIVIDUALS 65 Y OR OLDER, AND THOSE WITH PRIOR EXPERIENCE, PERCEIVED MORE BENEFITS. BARRIERS TO YOGA ALSO DIFFERED BY DEMOGRAPHICS. MEN REPORTED THAT TIME AND THE PERCEPTION THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO DO UNREALISTIC PRETZEL-LIKE POSES AS DETERRENTS TO YOGA PRACTICE; YOUNGER INDIVIDUALS PERCEIVED YOGA TO BE BORING, AND THOSE WITH NO EXPERIENCE PERCEIVED LACK OF FLEXIBILITY AND FEELING LIKE AN OUTSIDER IN CLASS, AS BARRIERS TO YOGA. THE MOST COMMON BARRIER, ACROSS SUBGROUPS, WAS THE COST ASSOCIATED WITH YOGA PRACTICE. THE MAJORITY OF PARTICIPANTS REPORTED BEING WILLING TO ATTEND YOGA CLASSES IF OFFERED AT A LOW COST. CONCLUSION: PERCEIVED BARRIERS RELATED TO YOGA REFLECT A LACK OF KNOWLEDGE ABOUT YOGA AND WHAT IT ENTAILS AND THE COST OF CLASSES. DESPITE THESE BARRIERS, HISPANIC ADULTS FROM A LOW-INCOME POPULATION SAID THEY WOULD BE WILLING TO ATTEND YOGA CLASSES IF OFFERED AT A LOW COST. UNDERSTANDING AND ADDRESSING THESE BARRIERS CAN HELP RESEARCHERS AND HEALTH PRACTITIONERS IMPROVE DIVERSITY IN YOGA CLASSES AND RESEARCH. 2021 19 563 23 CROSS-SECTIONAL ANALYSIS OF HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE AND ELEMENTS OF YOGA PRACTICE. BACKGROUND: MIND-BODY PRACTICES SUCH AS YOGA HAVE BEEN STUDIED FOR THEIR GENERALLY POSITIVE EFFECTS ON HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE (HRQOL). THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN HOW A PERSON PRACTICES YOGA AND THE PERSON'S HRQOL IS NOT KNOWN. MATERIALS AND METHODS: YOGA PRACTITIONERS WERE SENT INVITATIONS TO PARTICIPATE IN AN ONLINE SURVEY VIA EMAIL. YOGA CHARACTERISTICS, HRQOL, AND OTHER SOCIODEMOGRAPHICS WERE COLLECTED. ANALYSES OF DATA FROM 309 CONSENTING RESPONDERS EVALUATED ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN YOGA PRACTICE CHARACTERISTICS (USE OF YOGA TOOLS, LENGTH OF PRACTICE, LOCATION, METHOD, ETC.) AND THE 10-ITEM PROMIS GLOBAL HEALTH SCALE FOR BOTH PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH COMPONENTS. RESULTS: MULTIVARIABLE REGRESSION MODELS DEMONSTRATED HIGHER MENTAL HEALTH SCORES WERE ASSOCIATED WITH REGULAR MEDITATION PRACTICE, HIGHER INCOME, AND THE METHOD OF PRACTICING IN A COMMUNITY GROUP CLASS (VERSUS ONE-ON-ONE). HIGHER PHYSICAL HEALTH SCORES WERE ASSOCIATED WITH LENGTH OF LIFETIME PRACTICE, TEACHER STATUS, KRISHNAMACHARYA YOGA STYLE, AND PRACTICING IN A YOGA SCHOOL/STUDIO (VERSUS AT HOME). CONCLUSIONS: MEDITATION PRACTICE IN YOGA IS POSITIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH MENTAL HEALTH. LENGTH OF LIFETIME YOGA PRACTICE WAS SIGNIFICANTLY ASSOCIATED WITH BETTER PHYSICAL HEALTH, SUGGESTING YOGA HAS A POTENTIAL CUMULATIVE BENEFIT OVER TIME. DIFFERENT LOCATIONS AND METHODS OF PRACTICE MAY BE ASSOCIATED WITH VARYING EFFECTS ON HEALTH OUTCOMES. COMPARATIVE CROSS-SECTIONAL AND LONGITUDINAL STUDIES ON THE VARIATIONS IN YOGA PRACTICE ARE NEEDED TO FURTHER CHARACTERIZE HEALTH BENEFITS OF YOGA. 2017 20 393 26 BENEFITS, BARRIERS AND DETERMINANTS OF PRACTICING YOGA: A CROSS SECTIONAL STUDY FROM KATHMANDU, NEPAL. BACKGROUND: IT HAS BEEN WIDELY BELIEVED THAT PRACTICING YOGA HELPS TO IMPROVE INDIVIDUALS' MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH. HOWEVER, THE PROPORTION OF PEOPLE PRACTICING YOGA IS NOT ENCOURAGING. OBJECTIVE: THIS STUDY INVESTIGATES THE DETERMINANTS, MOTIVATIONS, BENEFITS AND BARRIERS TO PRACTICING YOGA. MATERIAL AND METHODS: THIS STUDY IS BASED ON A CROSS SECTIONAL SURVEY OF 875 INDIVIDUALS IN A FACE-TO-FACE INTERVIEWS CONDUCTED FROM FEBRUARY TO APRIL 2019 IN KATHMANDU, NEPAL. THE INTERVIEWS WERE CONDUCTED USING A SEMI-STRUCTURED QUESTIONNAIRE, AND THE STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF THE COLLECTED DATA WAS DONE USING SPSSV20. RESULTS: WE FIND THAT FEMALES, OLDER PEOPLE, PEOPLE WITH ACCESS TO HEALTH EDUCATION AND INTERNET, ASSOCIATED WITH SOCIAL ORGANIZATION, AND RECEIVING YOGA-RELATED TRAINING ARE MORE LIKELY TO PRACTICE YOGA. MAJOR REPORTED BENEFITS OF YOGA INCLUDE IMPROVEMENT IN BODY FLEXIBILITY AND BALANCE, A DECREASE IN THE LEVEL OF STRESS, IMPROVEMENT IN THE QUALITY OF LIFE, BODY WEIGHT MAINTENANCE, AND IMPROVEMENT IN IMMUNITY POWER. CONCLUSION: GIVEN THAT MOST RESPONDENTS HAVE BEEN BENEFITED FROM PRACTICING YOGA, WE RECOMMEND PEOPLE TO INCORPORATE YOGA INTO THEIR DAILY ROUTINE. 2021