1 1921 109 ROLE OF YOGA AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IN WORK-RELATED MUSCULOSKELETAL DISORDERS AMONG DENTISTS. BACKGROUND: WORK-RELATED MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN IS ONE OF THE OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS IN DENTISTS. AIMS: TO FIND THE PREVALENCE AND SEVERITY OF MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN IN DENTISTS, TO COMPARE MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN AMONG DENTISTS PRACTICING YOGA, THOSE PRACTICING PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES, AND THOSE WITHOUT ANY PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, AND ALSO TO KNOW THE EFFECTS OF SEX, AGE, AND WORKLOAD ON MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A SELF-REPORTING WORK-RELATED QUESTIONNAIRE AND THE NORDIC QUESTIONNAIRE FOR ANALYSIS OF MUSCULOSKELETAL DISORDERS WERE GIVEN TO GRADUATED DENTISTS ATTENDING INDIAN DENTAL CONFERENCE IN MUMBAI, TO KNOW THE MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN EXPERIENCED IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS AND FEEDBACK WAS OBTAINED FROM 220 DENTISTS. RESULTS: THE PREVALENCE OF MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN IN DENTISTS WAS 34.5%. PREVALENCE OF MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN WAS 10.5%, 21.7%, AND 45.6% IN DENTISTS WITH REGULAR YOGA PRACTICE, OTHER PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, AND NO PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, RESPECTIVELY. THERE WAS STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN THE PREVALENCE OF MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN AMONG DENTISTS WHO WERE PRACTICING YOGA WHEN COMPARED WITH THOSE IN NO REGULAR ACTIVITY GROUP. CONCLUSION: WITHIN THE LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY, THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT ROLE OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY ON THE QUALITY AND QUANTITY OF WORK-RELATED MUSCULOSKELETAL DISORDERS EXPERIENCED BY DENTISTS. YOGA WAS FOUND TO BE MORE EFFECTIVE THAN OTHER MODES OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES. MORE RESEARCH IS NEEDED ON MUSCULOSKELETAL PROBLEMS IN DENTISTS, WITH AN EMPHASIS ON LARGER SAMPLE SIZES AND CORRELATING OTHER FACTORS LIKE AGE AND SEX OF THE DENTISTS, DURATION OF PRACTICE, YEARS OF PRACTICING YOGA, AND WORKING HOURS PER WEEK. 2015 2 2017 33 SURVEY ON UTILITY OF YOGA AS AN ALTERNATIVE THERAPY FOR OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS AMONG DENTAL PRACTIONERS. BACKGROUND: THE THERAPEUTIC POTENTIAL OF YOGA ARE OFTEN CONSIDERED COMPLEMENTARY TO VARIOUS FORMS OF MEDICAL PRACTICE. VERY FEW STUDIES HAVE EVALUATED THE EFFECTS OF YOGA IN THE TREATMENT OF OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS AMONG DENTISTS. HENCE, THIS CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY WAS DESIGNED TO EVALUATE THE ADOPTION OF YOGA TECHINQUES AS AN ALTERNATIVE THERAPY IN TREATMENT OF PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS AMONG DENTAL GENERAL PRACTITIONERS IN CHENNAI, INDIA. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A VALIDATED CLOSED-ENDED QUESTIONNAIRE WAS CIRCULATED TO 500 DENTAL GENERAL PRACTITIONERS IN CHENNAI, INDIA AND WE RECEIVED 394 COMPLETED QUESTIONNAIRES. THE QUESTIONNAIRE DOCUMENTED DEMOGRAPHIC DATA, OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS AND THE TYPE OF TREATMENT TAKEN FOR THE HAZARDS. RESULTS: MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN WITH STRESS (47%) WAS THE MOST COMMON OCCUPATIONAL HAZARD REPORTED, FOLLOWED BY ONLY STRESS (27.4%), AND ONLY MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN (25.6%). ONLY 9.6% OF PRACTITIONERS ADOPTED YOGA AS AN ALTERNATIVE TREATMENT FOR THESE OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS. INTERESTINGLY, MAJORITY (46.4%) OF THEM DID EXERCISE, GYM, MASSAGE, WALKING AND HEARD MUSIC. SURPRISINGLY, 43.9% DID NOT TAKE ANY MEASURES TO TREAT THESE OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS. HOWEVER 53.3% OF THE DENTISTS WHO DID NOT CONSIDER YOGA AS AN ALTERNATIVE THERAPY, STATED LACK OF TIME AS A REASON FOR NOT PRACTICING YOGA WHILE 17.6% OF THEM DON'T BELIEVE YOGA AS A THERAPY. CONCLUSION: DESPITE MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN AND STRESS BEING THE MOST COMMON OCCUPATIONAL HAZARD PREVALENT AMONG DENTISTS, OVER 50% OF THE SUBJECTS SURVEYED DIDN'T SEEK ANY MEASURE TO TREAT THESE OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS AND ONLY 10% OF THEM PRACTICED YOGA AS THE ALTERNATIVE THERAPY. 2015 3 1658 35 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 4 976 35 EFFECTS OF AN INTERVENTION PROGRAM WITH HEALTH EDUCATION AND HATHA YOGA ON THE HEALTH OF PROFESSIONALS WITH MUSCULOSKELETAL SYMPTOMS. INTRODUCTION: MUSCULOSKELETAL AND MENTAL DISORDERS ARE RELEVANT IN THE WORKERS' DISEASE PROCESS, AND ERGONOMIC INTERVENTIONS THAT INCLUDE GUIDANCE AND PHYSICAL EXERCISE CONSIST OF STRATEGIES OF HEALTH PROMOTION. INTEGRATIVE AND COMPLEMENTARY PRACTICES ARE PRESENTED AS A POSSIBILITY OF PROMOTING COMPREHENSIVE CARE AND YOGA CONSISTS OF A THERAPEUTIC ALTERNATIVE. OBJECTIVE: TO EVALUATE THE EFFECTS OF AN INTERVENTION INCLUDING EDUCATIONAL MEASURES AND HATHA YOGA IN MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN, DISABILITY, AND STRESS IN PROFESSIONALS OF A UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL. METHODS: WE SELECTED 125 PROFESSIONALS WITH MUSCULOSKELETAL SYMPTOMS OF INTENSITY >/= 1 WHO DID NOT PRACTICE YOGA AND RANDOMLY ASSIGNED THEM TO INTERVENTION (N = 63) AND CONTROL (N = 62) GROUPS, REQUESTING ANSWERS TO THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONNAIRES: INITIAL CHARACTERIZATION, THE NORDIC MUSCULOSKELETAL QUESTIONNAIRE AND A NUMERIC SCALE, THE PAIN DISABILITY QUESTIONNAIRE, AND THE PERCEIVED STRESS SCALE. THE INTERVENTION GROUP WENT THROUGH A 12-WEEK PROGRAM WITH EDUCATIONAL MEASURES AND HATHA YOGA. AT THE END OF THE STUDY PERIOD, BOTH GROUPS ANSWERED TO THE QUESTIONNAIRES ONCE AGAIN. WE COMPARED DATA BEFORE AND AFTER THE INTERVENTION AND BETWEEN GROUPS. RESULTS: BOTH GROUPS PRESENTED IMPROVEMENTS AFTER 12 WEEKS, BUT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MEAN RESULTS OBTAINED IN THE FIRST AND SECOND DATA COLLECTIONS REVEALED THAT THE LEVELS OF PAIN, DISABILITY, AND STRESS DECREASED MORE STRONGLY IN THE INTERVENTION GROUP THAN IN THE CONTROL GROUP. CONSIDERING THAT THE INTERVENTION GROUP BEGAN THE PROGRAM IN WORSE CLINICAL CONDITIONS, THE PROGRAM LED TO A REDUCTION IN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GROUPS, BUT THIS WAS NOT ENOUGH FOR THE INTERVENTION GROUP TO REACH BETTER RESULTS THAN THE CONTROL. CONCLUSIONS: THE INTERVENTION PROMOTED IMPROVEMENTS IN THE INTENSITY OF PAIN, DISABILITY, AND STRESS AMONG THE PARTICIPANTS OF THE INTERVENTION GROUP. SIMILAR PROGRAMS COULD BE EXPLORED IN THE PROMOTION OF OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH. 2020 5 386 26 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 6 1512 27 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 7 1732 36 PERSPECTIVE OF PATIENTS REFERRED TO YOGA CENTER IN A TERTIARY NEUROPSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL: A CROSS-SECTIONAL RETROSPECTIVE STUDY. BACKGROUND: YOGA HAS BEEN EXTENSIVELY USED AS AN ALTERNATIVE OR COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY IN PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS DEPENDING ON THE TYPE AND SEVERITY OF THE DISORDERS. HOWEVER, DATA RELATED TO PERSPECTIVE ON YOGA SERVICES AND THE BENEFITS AND ADVERSE EFFECTS ATTRIBUTED TO YOGA BY PATIENTS WITH MAJOR PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS IS LACKING. AIM: THE AIM OF THE STUDY WAS TO ASSESS FEEDBACK OF THE PATIENTS WHO ATTENDED YOGA SESSIONS AT A YOGA CENTER IN A TERTIARY NEUROPSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL. MATERIALS AND METHODS: THIS WAS A CROSS-SECTIONAL RETROSPECTIVE STUDY USING A SPECIFIC QUESTIONNAIRE TO GET FEEDBACK FROM PATIENTS REFERRED TO THE NIMHANS INTEGRATED CENTER FOR YOGA, AT THE END OF THEIR YOGA TRAINING. RESULTS: TWO HUNDRED AND ONE PATIENTS' DATA WERE INCLUDED IN THIS RETROSPECTIVE STUDY. MOST OF THE PATIENTS WERE REFERRED BY THE DOCTORS. THE YOGA MODULE FOR SCHIZOPHRENIA WAS MOST COMMONLY UTILIZED, FOLLOWED BY DEPRESSION. ON AN AVERAGE, PATIENTS ATTENDED 13 SESSIONS. MOST OF THEM PRACTICED YOGA FOR 1-2 WEEKS AND HAD MISSED LESS THAN 2 SESSIONS. THE GREAT MAJORITY OF THE PATIENTS REPORTED THAT PRACTICING YOGA HELPED THEM. SPEARMAN CORRELATION ANALYSIS REVEALED POSITIVE ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN IMPROVEMENT ATTRIBUTED TO YOGA AND VARIABLES AFFECTING QUALITY OF YOGA SERVICES AT THE CENTER, INCLUDING THE QUALITY OF YOGA SESSIONS ATTENDED. OVERALL HEALTH AND SLEEP IMPROVEMENT ALSO POSITIVELY CORRELATED WITH IMPROVEMENT ATTRIBUTED TO YOGA. A MINORITY OF PATIENTS REPORTED ADVERSE EFFECTS, ALTHOUGH THESE DID NOT LEAD TO DISCONTINUATION. CONCLUSION: IN THIS RETROSPECTIVE STUDY OF PATIENTS REFERRED TO A YOGA CENTER IN A TERTIARY PSYCHIATRIC FACILITY, THE MAJORITY OF PATIENTS WITH MAJOR MENTAL DISORDERS WERE ABLE TO PRACTICE YOGA UNDER SUPERVISION AND REPORTED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN SYMPTOMS WITH MINIMAL ADVERSE EFFECTS. 2021 8 563 32 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 9 1774 34 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 10 639 24 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 11 1707 30 PATTERNS OF YOGA PRACTICE AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY FOLLOWING A YOGA INTERVENTION FOR ADULTS WITH OR AT RISK FOR TYPE 2 DIABETES. BACKGROUND: THE CURRENT STUDY DESCRIBED PATTERNS OF YOGA PRACTICE AND EXAMINED DIFFERENCES IN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY OVER TIME BETWEEN INDIVIDUALS WITH OR AT RISK FOR TYPE 2 DIABETES WHO COMPLETED AN 8-WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION COMPARED WITH CONTROLS. METHODS: A LONGITUDINAL COMPARATIVE DESIGN MEASURED THE EFFECT OF A YOGA INTERVENTION ON YOGA PRACTICE AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, USING DATA AT BASELINE AND POSTINTERVENTION MONTHS 3, 6, AND 15. RESULTS: DISPARATE PATTERNS OF YOGA PRACTICE OCCURRED BETWEEN INTERVENTION AND CONTROL PARTICIPANTS OVER TIME, BUT THE SUBJECTIVE DEFINITION OF YOGA PRACTICE LIMITS INTERPRETATION. MULTILEVEL MODEL ESTIMATES INDICATED THAT TREATMENT GROUP DID NOT HAVE A SIGNIFICANT INFLUENCE IN THE RATE OF CHANGE IN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY OVER THE STUDY PERIOD. WHILE AGE AND EDUCATION WERE NOT SIGNIFICANT INDIVIDUAL PREDICTORS, THE INCLUSION OF THESE VARIABLES IN THE MODEL DID IMPROVE FIT. CONCLUSIONS: FINDINGS INDICATE THAT AN 8-WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION HAD LITTLE EFFECT ON PHYSICAL ACTIVITY OVER TIME. FURTHER RESEARCH IS NECESSARY TO EXPLORE THE INFLUENCE OF YOGA ON BEHAVIORAL HEALTH OUTCOMES AMONG INDIVIDUALS WITH OR AT RISK FOR TYPE 2 DIABETES. 2012 12 1846 32 QUALITY OF LIFE AND MENTAL HEALTH IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC DISEASES WHO REGULARLY PRACTICE YOGA AND THOSE WHO DO NOT: A CASE-CONTROL STUDY. WHILE CLINICAL TRIALS HAVE SHOWN EVIDENCE OF EFFICACY OF YOGA IN DIFFERENT CHRONIC DISEASES, SUBJECTIVE HEALTH BENEFITS ASSOCIATED WITH YOGA PRACTICE UNDER NATURALISTIC CONDITIONS HAVE NOT YET BEEN INVESTIGATED. THE AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO INVESTIGATE ASSOCIATIONS OF REGULAR YOGA PRACTICE WITH QUALITY OF LIFE AND MENTAL HEALTH IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC DISEASES. USING A CASE-CONTROL DESIGN, PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC DISEASES WHO REGULARLY PRACTICED YOGA WERE SELECTED FROM A LARGE OBSERVATIONAL STUDY AND COMPARED TO CONTROLS WHO DID NOT REGULARLY PRACTICE YOGA AND WHO WERE MATCHED INDIVIDUALLY TO EACH CASE ON GENDER, MAIN DIAGNOSIS, EDUCATION, AND AGE (WITHIN 5 YEARS). PATIENTS' QUALITY OF LIFE (SF-36 QUESTIONNAIRE), MENTAL HEALTH (HOSPITAL ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION SCALE), LIFE SATISFACTION, AND HEALTH SATISFACTION (QUESTIONNAIRE FOR LIFE SATISFACTION) WERE ASSESSED. PATIENTS WHO REGULARLY PRACTICED YOGA (N = 186) HAD A BETTER GENERAL HEALTH STATUS (P = 0.012), A HIGHER PHYSICAL FUNCTIONING (P = 0.001), AND PHYSICAL COMPONENT SCORE (P = 0.029) ON THE SF-36 THAN THOSE WHO DID NOT (N = 186). NO GROUP DIFFERENCES WERE FOUND FOR THE MENTAL SCALES OF THE SF-36, ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, LIFE SATISFACTION, OR HEALTH SATISFACTION. IN CONCLUSION, PRACTICING YOGA UNDER NATURALISTIC CONDITIONS SEEMS TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH INCREASED PHYSICAL HEALTH BUT NOT MENTAL HEALTH IN CHRONICALLY DISEASED PATIENTS. 2013 13 198 37 A REGULAR YOGA INTERVENTION FOR STAFF NURSE SLEEP QUALITY AND WORK STRESS: A RANDOMISED CONTROLLED TRIAL. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: ALTHOUGH MANY STUDIES HAVE ASSESSED THE EFFICACY OF YOGA IN OLDER INDIVIDUALS, MINIMAL RESEARCH HAS FOCUSED ON HOW NURSES USE YOGA TO IMPROVE SLEEP QUALITY AND TO REDUCE WORK STRESS AFTER WORK HOURS. WE USED THE PITTSBURGH SLEEP QUALITY INDEX IN CHINESE AND THE QUESTIONNAIRE ON MEDICAL WORKER'S STRESS IN CHINESE TO DETERMINE THE IMPACT OF YOGA ON THE QUALITY OF SLEEP AND WORK STRESS OF STAFF NURSES EMPLOYED BY A GENERAL HOSPITAL IN CHINA. BACKGROUND: DISTURBANCES IN THE CIRCADIAN RHYTHM INTERRUPT AN INDIVIDUAL'S PATTERN OF SLEEP. STUDY DESIGN: CONVENIENT SAMPLING METHOD. METHODS: ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY NURSES WERE RANDOMISED INTO TWO GROUPS: A YOGA GROUP AND A NON-YOGA GROUP. THE YOGA GROUP PERFORMED YOGA MORE THAN TWO TIMES EVERY WEEK FOR 50-60 MINUTES EACH TIME AFTER WORK HOURS. THE NG GROUP DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN YOGA. AFTER SIX MONTHS, SELF-REPORTED SLEEP QUALITY AND WORK STRESS WERE COMPARED BETWEEN THE TWO GROUPS, AND THEN WE USED LINEAR REGRESSION TO CONFIRM THE INDEPENDENT FACTORS RELATED TO SLEEP QUALITY. RESULTS: NURSES IN THE YOGA GROUP HAD BETTER SLEEP QUALITY AND LOWER WORK STRESS COMPARED WITH NURSES IN THE NON-YOGA GROUP. THE LINEAR REGRESSION MODEL INDICATED THAT NURSING EXPERIENCE, AGE AND YOGA INTERVENTION WERE SIGNIFICANTLY RELATED TO SLEEP QUALITY. CONCLUSION: REGULAR YOGA CAN IMPROVE SLEEP QUALITY AND REDUCE WORK STRESS IN STAFF NURSES. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: THIS STUDY PROVIDES EVIDENCE THAT HOSPITAL MANAGEMENT SHOULD PAY ATTENTION TO NURSE SLEEP QUALITY AND WORK STRESS, THEREBY TAKING CORRESPONDING MEASURES TO REDUCE WORK PRESSURE AND IMPROVE HEALTH OUTCOMES. 2015 14 472 29 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 15 2235 27 THE IMPACT OF YOGA UPON FEMALE PATIENTS SUFFERING FROM HYPOTHYROIDISM. OBJECTIVE: TO STUDY THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF FEMALE HYPOTHYROID PATIENTS. DESIGN: THE WHO QUALITY OF LIFE SCALE(22) WAS USED TO ASSESS THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF 20 FEMALE HYPOTHYROID PATIENTS. SUBJECTS ATTENDED ONE HOUR YOGA SESSIONS DAILY FOR A PERIOD OF ONE MONTH. A PRETEST-POST-TEST RESEARCH DESIGN WAS USED FOR DATA ANALYSIS. RESULTS: PATIENTS' QUALITY OF LIFE SCORES FOLLOWING THE YOGA PROGRAM WERE GREATER THAN SCORES OBTAINED PRIOR TO UNDERTAKING YOGA (P < 0.01). PATIENTS ALSO REPORTED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN THEIR PERCEPTION OF THE OVERALL QUALITY OF LIFE AND OF THEIR HEALTH POST YOGA INTERVENTION. CONCLUSIONS: IT CAN BE CONCLUDED THAT YOGA IS VALUABLE IN HELPING THE HYPOTHYROID PATIENTS TO MANAGE THEIR DISEASE-RELATED SYMPTOMS. YOGA MAY BE CONSIDERED AS SUPPORTIVE OR COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY IN CONJUNCTION WITH MEDICAL THERAPY FOR THE TREATMENT OF HYPOTHYROID DISORDER. 2011 16 2661 33 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 17 78 33 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 18 2385 30 YOGA ADHERENCE IN OLDER WOMEN SIX MONTHS POST-OSTEOARTHRITIS INTERVENTION. BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: OSTEOARTHRITIS (OA) IS A HIGHLY PREVALENT CONDITION WORLDWIDE. YOGA IS POTENTIALLY A SAFE AND FEASIBLE OPTION FOR MANAGING OA; HOWEVER, THE EXTENT OF LONG-TERM YOGA ADHERENCE IS UNKNOWN. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO EXAMINE YOGA ADHERENCE 6 MONTHS AFTER PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED AN OA INTERVENTION PROGRAM. METHODS: THIS FOLLOW-UP STUDY EMPLOYED A CROSS-SECTIONAL DESCRIPTIVE DESIGN USING SURVEY, INTERVIEW, AND VIDEO RECORDINGS TO COLLECT BOTH QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DATA. A TOTAL OF 31 PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED AND RETURNED THE SURVEY, AND 10 VIDEOTAPED THEIR YOGA PRACTICE FOR 1 WEEK AND PARTICIPATED IN A FACE-TO-FACE INTERVIEW. RESULTS: A MAJORITY OF PARTICIPANTS (N=19, 61%) REPORTED THAT THEY WERE STILL PRACTICING YOGA 6 MONTHS AFTER THE INTERVENTION PROGRAM. ON AVERAGE, PARTICIPANTS REPORTED PRACTICING 21 TO 30 MINUTES OF YOGA PER DAY (32%) 3 TO 4 DAYS PER WEEK (47%). "FEELING GOOD OR FEELING BETTER AFTER YOGA PRACTICE" (50%) AND "SET ASIDE A TIME" (31%) WERE THE MOST COMMON MOTIVATING FACTORS FOR YOGA ADHERENCE. DEALING WITH HEALTH PROBLEMS (42%), HAVING PAIN (25%), AND BEING TOO BUSY (25%) WERE THE MAJOR BARRIERS. QUALITATIVE DATA REVEALED THAT PARTICIPANTS: (1) USED MINDFUL YOGA MOVEMENT, (2) INCORPORATED OTHER FORMS OF EXERCISE AND RESOURCES DURING YOGA PRACTICE, AND (3) CREATED PERSONALIZED YOGA PROGRAMS. ADDITIONALLY, THE PARTICIPANTS REPORTED LESS OA PAIN, INCREASED PHYSICAL ENDURANCE, AND MORE RELAXATION. CONCLUSION: MANY PARTICIPANTS ADHERED TO YOGA PRACTICE 6 MONTHS POST-INTERVENTION ALTHOUGH NOT AT THE FREQUENCY AND SEQUENCE AS PRESCRIBED. FEELING BETTER AFTER PRACTICE MOTIVATED PARTICIPANTS, BUT OTHER FACTORS REMAINED KEY BARRIERS. 2015 19 1411 33 IMPACT OF YOGA WAY OF LIFE ON ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE. BACKGROUND: ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE CAN BE ATTRIBUTED TO A NUMBER OF FACTORS. HOWEVER, THERE ARE CERTAIN ORGANIZATIONAL FACTORS, THE PRESENCE OR ABSENCE OF WHICH CAN DETERMINE THE SUCCESS OR FAILURE OF THE ORGANIZATION. THERE ARE DIFFERENT WAYS IN WHICH ORGANIZATIONS TRY TO IMPROVE THEIR PERFORMANCE BY WORKING ON SUCH FACTORS. IN THE RESEARCH PRESENTED IN THIS ARTICLE, AN ATTEMPT IS MADE TO FIND OUT WHETHER ADOPTION OF THE YOGA WAY OF LIFE BY MANAGERS CAN HAVE A POSITIVE IMPACT ON SUCH ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE INDICATORS. AIMS: TO MEASURE EFFECT OF YOGA WAY OF LIFE ON FIVE DIFFERENT INDICATORS THROUGH AN EMPIRICAL STUDY. MATERIALS AND METHODS: THE FIVE INDICATORS ARE JOB SATISFACTION, JOB INVOLVEMENT, GOAL ORIENTATION, AFFECTIVE ORGANIZATIONAL COMMITMENT AND ORGANIZATIONAL CITIZENSHIP BEHAVIOR. STATISTICS ANALYSIS: PRE- AND POST-DATA WAS MEASURED USING SELF-REPORTED QUESTIONNAIRE. INDEPENDENT T-TEST (PAIRED) AND PEARSON'S CORRELATION TEST WERE CONDUCTED USING SPSS. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: THE RESULTS OF THE STUDY SHOW THAT YOGA HAS A SIGNIFICANT POSITIVE IMPACT ON FOUR OUT OF FIVE OF THESE INDICATORS. ONLY JOB INVOLVEMENT DOES NOT SHOW SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT. THE CONSTRUCT USED FOR MEASURING JOB INVOLVEMENT HAD A CHRONBACH ALPHA OF 0.613, WHICH IS AN INDICATOR OF MODERATE RELIABILITY, WHICH COULD BE THE MAIN REASON FOR NOT GETTING POSITIVE RESULT. 2010 20 2084 36 THE EFFECT OF LAUGHTER YOGA ON GENERAL HEALTH AMONG NURSING STUDENTS. BACKGROUND: PROMOTION AND PROVISION OF INDIVIDUALS' HEALTH IS ONE OF THE BASES FOR DEVELOPMENT IN SOCIETIES. STUDENTS' MENTAL HEALTH IS VERY IMPORTANT IN EACH SOCIETY. STUDENTS OF MEDICAL SCIENCES UNIVERSITIES, ESPECIALLY NURSING STUDENTS, ARE UNDER VARIOUS STRESSES IN CLINICAL ENVIRONMENT, IN ADDITION TO THE STRESS THEY EXPERIENCE IN THEORETICAL EDUCATION ENVIRONMENT. WITH REGARD TO THE IMPORTANCE OF NURSING STUDENTS' GENERAL HEALTH AND CONSIDERING THE VARIOUS EXISTING STRATEGIES TO PROMOTE GENERAL HEALTH COMPONENTS, USE OF COMPLEMENTARY TREATMENTS IS MORE CONSIDERED BECAUSE OF THEIR BETTER PUBLIC ACCEPTANCE, LOW COSTS, AND FEWER COMPLICATIONS. ONE OF THE NEW STRATEGIES IN THIS REGARD IS LAUGHTER YOGA. THE PRESENT STUDY WAS CONDUCTED WITH AN AIM TO DEFINE THE EFFECT OF LAUGHTER YOGA ON GENERAL HEALTH AMONG NURSING STUDENTS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: THIS IS A QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL TWO-GROUP THREE-STEP STUDY CONDUCTED ON 38 MALE NURSING STUDENTS IN THE NURSING AND MIDWIFERY SCHOOL OF ISFAHAN UNIVERSITY OF MEDICAL SCIENCES IN 2012. IN THE STUDY GROUP, EIGHT 1 H SESSIONS OF LAUGHTER YOGA WERE HELD (TWO SESSIONS A WEEK), AND IN THE CONTROL GROUP, NO INTERVENTION WAS CONDUCTED. THE DATA OF THE PRESENT STUDY WERE COLLECTED BY GOLDBERG AND HILLER'S GENERAL HEALTH QUESTIONNAIRE AND ANALYZED BY SPSS VERSION 12. RESULTS: THE FINDINGS SHOWED A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN THE MEAN SCORES OF GENERAL HEALTH BEFORE AND AFTER LAUGHTER YOGA INTERVENTION IN THE TWO GROUPS OF STUDY AND CONTROL. CONCLUSIONS: THE FINDINGS SHOWED THAT LAUGHTER YOGA HAD A POSITIVE EFFECT ON STUDENTS' GENERAL HEALTH AND IMPROVED THE SIGNS OF PHYSICAL AND SLEEP DISORDERS, LOWERED ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION, AND PROMOTED THEIR SOCIAL FUNCTION. THEREFORE, LAUGHTER YOGA CAN BE USED AS ONE OF THE EFFECTIVE STRATEGIES ON STUDENTS' GENERAL HEALTH. 2014