1 2039 184 TESTING THE EFFICACY OF YOGA AS A COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY FOR SMOKING CESSATION: DESIGN AND METHODS OF THE BREATHEASY TRIAL. INTRODUCTION: SMOKERS TRYING TO QUIT ENCOUNTER MANY CHALLENGES INCLUDING NICOTINE WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS, CIGARETTE CRAVING, INCREASED STRESS AND NEGATIVE MOOD AND CONCERN REGARDING WEIGHT GAIN. THESE PHENOMENA MAKE IT DIFFICULT TO SUCCESSFULLY QUIT SMOKING. STUDIES IN NON-SMOKING POPULATIONS SHOW THAT YOGA REDUCES STRESS AND NEGATIVE MOOD AND IMPROVES WEIGHT CONTROL. BY INCREASING MINDFULNESS WE ANTICIPATE THAT YOGA MAY ALSO IMPROVE SMOKERS' ABILITY TO COPE WITH THE NEGATIVE SYMPTOMS ASSOCIATED WITH QUITTING. YOGA MAY ALSO IMPROVE COGNITIVE DELIBERATION WHICH IS NEEDED TO MAKE EFFECTIVE CHOICES AND AVOID SMOKING IN TEMPTING SITUATIONS. METHODS/DESIGN: THE BREATHEASY STUDY IS A RIGOROUS, RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED CLINICAL TRIAL EXAMINING THE EFFICACY OF IYENGAR YOGA AS A COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY TO COGNITIVE-BEHAVIORAL THERAPY FOR SMOKING CESSATION. ALL PARTICIPANTS ARE GIVEN AN 8-WEEK PROGRAM OF SMOKING CESSATION CLASSES, AND ARE RANDOMIZED TO EITHER TWICE WEEKLY YOGA (YOGA) OR TWICE-WEEKLY HEALTH AND WELLNESS CLASSES WHICH SERVE AS A CONTROL FOR CONTACT AND PARTICIPANT BURDEN (CTL). ASSESSMENTS ARE CONDUCTED AT BASELINE, 8 WEEKS, 3, 6, AND 12 MONTHS OF FOLLOW-UP. THE PRIMARY OUTCOME IS PROLONGED ABSTINENCE USING AN INTENTION-TO-TREAT APPROACH. MULTIPLE INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL AUDITS USING BLIND DATA COLLECTION ARE EMPLOYED TO ENSURE TREATMENT FIDELITY AND RELIABILITY OF STUDY RESULTS. TO UNDERSTAND WHY YOGA MAY BE MORE EFFECTIVE THAN CTL, WE WILL EXAMINE THE MECHANISMS OF ACTION (I.E., MEDIATORS) UNDERLYING INTERVENTION EFFICACY. WE WILL EXAMINE THE MAINTENANCE OF YOGA PRACTICE AND SMOKING STATUS AT EACH FOLLOW-UP. FOCUS GROUPS AND INTERVIEWS WILL BE USED TO ENRICH OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE RELATIONSHIP OF YOGA PRACTICE AND SMOKING ABSTINENCE. CONCLUSIONS: THIS STUDY WILL PROVIDE A STRINGENT TEST OF THE RELATIVE EFFICACY OF YOGA COMPARED TO A CONDITION THAT CONTROLS FOR CONTACT TIME AND ATTENTION. THE USE OF MIXED METHODOLOGY ALSO PROVIDES THE OPPORTUNITY TO VALIDATE EXISTING KNOWLEDGE ABOUT YOGA AND HELPS TO EXPLORE NEW THEMES FOR FUTURE MINDFULNESS AND YOGA RESEARCH. 2014 2 2457 76 YOGA AS A COMPLEMENTARY TREATMENT FOR SMOKING CESSATION: RATIONALE, STUDY DESIGN AND PARTICIPANT CHARACTERISTICS OF THE QUITTING-IN-BALANCE STUDY. BACKGROUND: TOBACCO SMOKING REMAINS THE LEADING PREVENTABLE CAUSE OF DEATH AMONG AMERICAN WOMEN. EXERCISE HAS SHOWN PROMISE AS AN AID TO SMOKING CESSATION BECAUSE IT REDUCES WEIGHT GAIN AND WEIGHT CONCERNS, IMPROVES AFFECT, AND REDUCES NICOTINE WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS AND CIGARETTE CRAVING. STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT THE PRACTICE OF YOGA IMPROVES WEIGHT CONTROL, AND REDUCES PERCEIVED STRESS AND NEGATIVE AFFECT. YOGA PRACTICE ALSO INCLUDES REGULATION OF BREATHING AND FOCUSED ATTENTION, BOTH OF WHICH MAY ENHANCE STRESS REDUCTION AND IMPROVE MOOD AND WELL-BEING AND MAY IMPROVE CESSATION OUTCOMES. METHODS/DESIGN: THIS PILOT EFFICACY STUDY IS DESIGNED TO EXAMINE THE RATES OF CESSATION AMONG WOMEN RANDOMIZED TO EITHER A NOVEL, 8-WEEK YOGA PLUS COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY (CBT) SMOKING CESSATION INTERVENTION VERSUS A WELLNESS PROGRAM PLUS THE SAME CBT SMOKING CESSATION INTERVENTION. OUTCOME MEASURES INCLUDE 7-DAY POINT PREVALENCE ABSTINENCE AT END OF TREATMENT, 3 AND 6 MONTHS FOLLOW UP AND POTENTIAL MEDIATING VARIABLES (E.G., CONFIDENCE IN QUITTING SMOKING, SELF-EFFICACY). OTHER ASSESSMENTS INCLUDE MEASURES OF MINDFULNESS, SPIRITUALITY, DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS, ANXIETY AND PERCEIVED HEALTH (SF-36). DISCUSSION: INNOVATIVE TREATMENTS ARE NEEDED THAT ADDRESS BARRIERS TO SUCCESSFUL SMOKING CESSATION AMONG MEN AND WOMEN. THE DESIGN CHOSEN FOR THIS STUDY WILL ALLOW US TO EXPLORE POTENTIAL MEDIATORS OF INTERVENTION EFFICACY SO THAT WE MAY BETTER UNDERSTAND THE MECHANISM(S) BY WHICH YOGA MAY ACT AS AN EFFECTIVE COMPLEMENTARY TREATMENT FOR SMOKING CESSATION. IF SHOWN TO BE EFFECTIVE, YOGA CAN OFFER AN ALTERNATIVE TO TRADITIONAL EXERCISE FOR REDUCING NEGATIVE SYMPTOMS THAT OFTEN ACCOMPANY SMOKING CESSATION AND PREDICT RELAPSE TO SMOKING AMONG RECENT QUITTERS. TRIAL REGISTRATION: CLINICALTRIALS NCT00492310. 2010 3 16 56 "SMOKING DOES NOT GO WITH YOGA:" A QUALITATIVE STUDY OF WOMEN'S PHENOMENOLOGICAL PERCEPTIONS DURING YOGA AND SMOKING CESSATION. INTRODUCTION: SMOKING CESSATION IS OFTEN ACCOMPANIED BY WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS, CIGARETTE CRAVING, INCREASED NEGATIVE AFFECT, AND INCREASED EXPERIENCE OF STRESS. BECAUSE YOGA HAS BEEN SHOWN TO REDUCE STRESS AND NEGATIVE AFFECT, IT MAY BE AN EFFECTIVE AID TO SMOKING CESSATION. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO EXAMINE WOMEN'S PHENOMENOLOGICAL EXPERIENCES OF VINYASA YOGA AS PART OF A SMOKING CESSATION PROGRAM. METHODS: FOCUS GROUPS WERE CONDUCTED POST-INTERVENTION WITH WOMEN (N = 20) WHO PARTICIPATED IN A PILOT RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL OF YOGA AS A COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY FOR SMOKING CESSATION. THE 8-WEEK VINYASA YOGA INTERVENTION INCLUDED TWICE WEEKLY 60-MINUTE CLASSES THAT INVOLVED BREATHING EXERCISES, POSTURES (ASANAS), AND RELAXATION TECHNIQUES. FOCUS GROUPS WERE AUDIO RECORDED AND TRANSCRIBED. THEMATIC ANALYSIS FOCUSED ON DESCRIPTIONS OF YOGA, BREATHING, AND BODILY SENSATIONS INCLUDING CIGARETTE CRAVING. RESULTS: FOCUS GROUP PARTICIPANTS DESCRIBED VINYASA YOGA AS PHYSICALLY CHALLENGING. MOST REPORTED DELIBERATE USE OF YOGIC BREATHING TO COPE WITH CIGARETTE CRAVING AND STRESS. OTHER PERCEIVED EFFECTS INCLUDED RELAXATION AND AN INCREASED SENSE OF BODY AWARENESS AND WELLBEING. CONCLUSIONS: PARTICIPANTS VIEWED YOGA AS POSITIVE AND POTENTIALLY HELPFUL FOR QUITTING SMOKING. YOGA MAY BE AN EFFECTIVE ADJUNCT FOR SMOKING CESSATION. 2016 4 2456 66 YOGA AS A COMPLEMENTARY TREATMENT FOR SMOKING CESSATION IN WOMEN. BACKGROUND: TOBACCO SMOKING REMAINS THE LEADING PREVENTABLE CAUSE OF DEATH AMONG AMERICAN WOMEN. AEROBIC EXERCISE HAS SHOWN PROMISE AS AN AID TO SMOKING CESSATION BECAUSE IT IMPROVES AFFECT AND REDUCES NICOTINE WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS. STUDIES OUTSIDE THE REALM OF SMOKING CESSATION HAVE SHOWN THAT YOGA PRACTICE ALSO REDUCES PERCEIVED STRESS AND NEGATIVE AFFECT. METHODS: THIS PILOT STUDY EXAMINES THE FEASIBILITY AND INITIAL EFFICACY OF YOGA AS A COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY FOR SMOKING CESSATION. FIFTY-FIVE WOMEN WERE GIVEN 8-WEEK GROUP-BASED COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY FOR SMOKING CESSATION AND WERE RANDOMIZED TO A TWICE-WEEKLY PROGRAM OF VINYASA YOGA OR A GENERAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS PROGRAM (CONTACT CONTROL). THE PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURE WAS 7-DAY POINT PREVALENCE ABSTINENCE AT THE END OF TREATMENT VALIDATED BY SALIVA COTININE TESTING. LONGITUDINAL ANALYSES WERE ALSO CONDUCTED TO EXAMINE THE EFFECT OF INTERVENTION ON SMOKING CESSATION AT 3- AND 6-MONTH FOLLOW-UP. WE EXAMINED THE EFFECTS OF THE INTERVENTION ON POTENTIAL MEDIATING VARIABLES (E.G., CONFIDENCE IN QUITTING SMOKING, SELF-EFFICACY), AS WELL AS MEASURES OF DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS, ANXIETY, AND PERCEIVED HEALTH (SF-36). RESULTS: AT END OF TREATMENT, WOMEN IN THE YOGA GROUP HAD A GREATER 7-DAY POINT-PREVALENCE ABSTINENCE RATE THAN CONTROLS (ODDS RATIO [OR], 4.56; 95% CI, 1.1-18.6). ABSTINENCE REMAINED HIGHER AMONG YOGA PARTICIPANTS THROUGH THE SIX MONTH ASSESSMENT (OR, 1.54; 95% CI, 0.34-6.92), ALTHOUGH DIFFERENCES WERE NO LONGER STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT. WOMEN PARTICIPATING IN THE YOGA PROGRAM ALSO SHOWED REDUCED ANXIETY AND IMPROVEMENTS IN PERCEIVED HEALTH AND WELL-BEING WHEN COMPARED WITH CONTROLS. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA MAY BE AN EFFICACIOUS COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY FOR SMOKING CESSATION AMONG WOMEN. 2012 5 2046 52 THE ACUTE IMPACT OF HATHA YOGA ON CRAVING AMONG SMOKERS ATTEMPTING TO REDUCE OR QUIT. INTRODUCTION: DESPITE NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF SMOKING, SMOKERS HAVE DIFFICULTY QUITTING, SUGGESTING A NEED FOR ADDITIONAL STRATEGIES TO HELP THEM QUIT. A SINGLE-SESSION HATHA YOGA INTERVENTION ACUTELY REDUCED CRAVING AMONG NICOTINE-DEPRIVED SMOKERS NOT ATTEMPTING TO REDUCE OR QUIT, YET IT IS UNKNOWN IF IT REDUCES CRAVING AMONG THOSE ATTEMPTING TO CHANGE THEIR SMOKING. THUS, THIS STUDY TESTED THE EFFICACY OF A SINGLE-SESSION HATHA YOGA INTERVENTION FOR ACUTELY REDUCING CRAVING AMONG SMOKERS ATTEMPTING TO REDUCE OR QUIT SMOKING. METHODS: DATA PRESENTED ARE PART OF A LARGER DISSERTATION PROJECT. PARTICIPANTS WERE 55 COMMUNITY-RECRUITED SMOKERS (62% MALE) MOTIVATED TO REDUCE OR QUIT SMOKING RANDOMIZED TO ONE SESSION OF HATHA YOGA (N = 25) OR WELLNESS CONTROL (IE, READING EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS ABOUT HEALTHY LIFESTYLE; N = 30) ON THEIR INTERVENTION DAY (IE, THE DAY ON WHICH THEY BEGAN TO REDUCE OR QUIT SMOKING). PARTICIPANTS RATED, "I HAVE A DESIRE FOR A CIGARETTE RIGHT NOW," ON A 7-POINT LIKERT SCALE IMMEDIATELY BEFORE AND AFTER THE INTERVENTION. RESULTS: AFTER STATISTICALLY CONTROLLING FOR CO IN BREATH, PARTICIPANT TYPE, AGE, GENDER, RACE, AND ETHNICITY, A SIGNIFICANT TIME X CONDITION INTERACTION WAS FOUND, F(1, 47) = 4.72, P = .035, ETAP2 = .09, SUGGESTING CRAVING DECREASED AT A GREATER RATE IN THE HATHA YOGA CONDITION RELATIVE TO THE WELLNESS CONDITION. CONCLUSIONS: RESULTS FROM THIS STUDY ADD TO A GROWING BODY OF RESEARCH DEMONSTRATING THE POTENTIAL CLINICAL UTILITY OF HATHA YOGA AS AN ADJUNCTIVE INTERVENTION TOOL FOR SMOKING CESSATION. IMPLICATIONS: THIS IS THE FIRST KNOWN STUDY TO TEST THE IMPACT OF A SINGLE-SESSION HATHA YOGA INTERVENTION ON CRAVING AMONG ADULT SMOKERS ATTEMPTING TO REDUCE OR QUIT SMOKING. WE FOUND THAT 30 MINUTES OF HATHA YOGA PRODUCED A GREATER REDUCTION IN CRAVING COMPARED TO A 30-MINUTE WELLNESS CONTROL CONDITION. THIS RELATIONSHIP WAS EVIDENT EVEN AFTER STATISTICALLY ACCOUNTING FOR OTHER IMPORTANT VARIABLES (EG, GENDER). RESULTS OF THIS STUDY ADD TO A GROWING BODY OF LITERATURE DEMONSTRATING THE POTENTIAL CLINICAL UTILITY OF HATHA YOGA AS AN ADJUNCTIVE INTERVENTION STRATEGY FOR SMOKING CESSATION. 2020 6 1183 47 EVALUATION OF YOGA FOR PREVENTING ADOLESCENT SUBSTANCE USE RISK FACTORS IN A MIDDLE SCHOOL SETTING: A PRELIMINARY GROUP-RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. ADOLESCENCE IS A KEY DEVELOPMENTAL PERIOD FOR PREVENTING SUBSTANCE USE INITIATION, HOWEVER PREVENTION PROGRAMS SOLELY PROVIDING EDUCATIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE DANGERS OF SUBSTANCE USE RARELY CHANGE ADOLESCENT SUBSTANCE USE BEHAVIORS. RECENT RESEARCH SUGGESTS THAT MIND-BODY PRACTICES SUCH AS YOGA MAY HAVE BENEFICIAL EFFECTS ON SEVERAL SUBSTANCE USE RISK FACTORS, AND THAT THESE PRACTICES MAY SERVE AS PROMISING INTERVENTIONS FOR PREVENTING ADOLESCENT SUBSTANCE USE. THE PRIMARY AIM OF THE PRESENT STUDY WAS TO TEST THE EFFICACY OF YOGA FOR REDUCING SUBSTANCE USE RISK FACTORS DURING EARLY ADOLESCENCE. SEVENTH-GRADE STUDENTS IN A PUBLIC SCHOOL WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED BY CLASSROOM TO RECEIVE EITHER A 32-SESSION YOGA INTERVENTION (N = 117) IN PLACE OF THEIR REGULAR PHYSICAL EDUCATION CLASSES OR TO CONTINUE WITH PHYSICAL-EDUCATION-AS-USUAL (N = 94). PARTICIPANTS (63.2 % FEMALE; 53.6 % WHITE) COMPLETED PRE- AND POST-INTERVENTION QUESTIONNAIRES ASSESSING EMOTIONAL SELF-REGULATION, PERCEIVED STRESS, MOOD IMPAIRMENT, IMPULSIVITY, SUBSTANCE USE WILLINGNESS, AND ACTUAL SUBSTANCE USE. PARTICIPANTS ALSO COMPLETED QUESTIONNAIRES AT 6-MONTHS AND 1-YEAR POST-INTERVENTION. RESULTS REVEALED THAT PARTICIPANTS IN THE CONTROL CONDITION WERE SIGNIFICANTLY MORE WILLING TO TRY SMOKING CIGARETTES IMMEDIATELY POST-INTERVENTION THAN PARTICIPANTS IN THE YOGA CONDITION. IMMEDIATE PRE- TO POST-INTERVENTION DIFFERENCES DID NOT EMERGE FOR THE REMAINING OUTCOMES. HOWEVER, LONG-TERM FOLLOW-UP ANALYSES REVEALED A PATTERN OF DELAYED EFFECTS IN WHICH FEMALES IN THE YOGA CONDITION, AND MALES IN THE CONTROL CONDITION, DEMONSTRATED IMPROVEMENTS IN EMOTIONAL SELF-CONTROL. THE FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT SCHOOL-BASED YOGA MAY HAVE BENEFICIAL EFFECTS WITH REGARD TO PREVENTING MALES' AND FEMALES' WILLINGNESS TO SMOKE CIGARETTES, AS WELL AS IMPROVING EMOTIONAL SELF-CONTROL IN FEMALES. HOWEVER ADDITIONAL RESEARCH IS REQUIRED, PARTICULARLY WITH REGARD TO THE POTENTIAL LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF MIND-BODY INTERVENTIONS IN SCHOOL SETTINGS. THE PRESENT STUDY CONTRIBUTES TO THE LITERATURE ON ADOLESCENCE BY EXAMINING SCHOOL-BASED YOGA AS A NOVEL PREVENTION PROGRAM FOR SUBSTANCE USE RISK FACTORS. 2017 7 1 43 "A FEELING OF CONNECTEDNESS": PERSPECTIVES ON A GENTLE YOGA INTERVENTION FOR WOMEN WITH MAJOR DEPRESSION. MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER (MDD) IS ONE OF THE MOST COMMON AND DEBILITATING HEALTH CONDITIONS IN WOMEN IN THE UNITED STATES AND WORLDWIDE. MANY WOMEN WITH MDD SEEK OUT COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES FOR THEIR DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS, EITHER AS AN ADJUNCT OR ALTERNATIVE TO THE USUAL CARE. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY IS TO UNDERSTAND THE EXPERIENCES OF WOMEN WHO PARTICIPATED IN A YOGA INTERVENTION FOR THEIR DEPRESSION. THE FINDINGS FROM THIS INTERPRETIVE PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY ARE DERIVED FROM INTERVIEWS WITH AND DAILY LOGS BY 12 WOMEN WITH MDD WHO TOOK PART IN AN 8-WEEK GENTLE YOGA INTERVENTION AS PART OF A LARGER PARENT RANDOMIZED, CONTROLLED TRIAL. RESULTS SHOW THAT THE WOMEN'S EXPERIENCE OF DEPRESSION INVOLVED STRESS, RUMINATIONS, AND ISOLATION. IN ADDITION, THEIR EXPERIENCES OF YOGA WERE THAT IT SERVED AS A SELF-CARE TECHNIQUE FOR THE STRESS AND RUMINATIVE ASPECTS OF DEPRESSION AND THAT IT SERVED AS A RELATIONAL TECHNIQUE, FACILITATING CONNECTEDNESS AND SHARED EXPERIENCES IN A SAFE ENVIRONMENT. FUTURE LONG-TERM RESEARCH IS WARRANTED TO EVALUATE THESE CONCEPTS AS POTENTIAL MECHANISMS FOR THE EFFECTS OF YOGA FOR DEPRESSION. 2013 8 2455 72 YOGA AS A COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY FOR SMOKING CESSATION: RESULTS FROM BREATHEASY, A RANDOMIZED CLINICAL TRIAL. INTRODUCTION: THERE IS EVIDENCE THAT YOGA MAY BE HELPFUL AS AN AID FOR SMOKING CESSATION. YOGA HAS BEEN SHOWN TO REDUCE STRESS AND NEGATIVE MOOD AND MAY AID WEIGHT CONTROL, ALL OF WHICH HAVE PROVEN TO BE BARRIERS TO QUITTING SMOKING. THIS STUDY IS THE FIRST RIGOROUS, RANDOMIZED CLINICAL TRIAL OF YOGA AS A COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY FOR SMOKERS ATTEMPTING TO QUIT. METHODS: ADULT SMOKERS (N = 227; 55.5% WOMEN) WERE RANDOMIZED TO AN 8-WEEK PROGRAM OF COGNITIVE-BEHAVIORAL SMOKING CESSATION AND EITHER TWICE-WEEKLY IYENGAR YOGA OR GENERAL WELLNESS CLASSES (CONTROL). ASSESSMENTS INCLUDED COTININE-VERIFIED 7-DAY POINT PREVALENCE ABSTINENCE AT WEEK 8, 3-MONTH, AND 6-MONTH FOLLOW-UPS. RESULTS: AT BASELINE, PARTICIPANTS' MEAN AGE WAS 46.2 (SD = 12.0) YEARS AND SMOKING RATE WAS 17.3 (SD = 7.6) CIGARETTES/DAY. LONGITUDINALLY ADJUSTED MODELS OF ABSTINENCE OUTCOMES DEMONSTRATED SIGNIFICANT GROUP EFFECTS FAVORING YOGA. YOGA PARTICIPANTS HAD 37% GREATER ODDS OF ACHIEVING ABSTINENCE THAN WELLNESS PARTICIPANTS AT THE END OF TREATMENT (EOT). LOWER BASELINE SMOKING RATES (