1 2263 138 THE PREVALENCE AND CHARACTERISTICS OF YOUNG AND MID-AGE WOMEN WHO USE YOGA AND MEDITATION: RESULTS OF A NATIONALLY REPRESENTATIVE SURVEY OF 19,209 AUSTRALIAN WOMEN. OBJECTIVE: TO DETERMINE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF YOGA AND MEDITATION USERS AND NON-USERS AMONGST YOUNG AND MID-AGED AUSTRALIAN WOMEN. DESIGN AND SETTING: THE RESEARCH WAS CONDUCTED AS PART OF THE AUSTRALIAN LONGITUDINAL STUDY ON WOMEN'S HEALTH (ALSWH) WHICH WAS DESIGNED TO INVESTIGATE MULTIPLE FACTORS AFFECTING THE HEALTH AND WELL BEING OF WOMEN OVER A 20-YEAR PERIOD. PARTICIPANTS: THE YOUNGER (28-33 YEARS) (N=8885) AND MID-AGED (56-61 YEARS) (N=10,324) COHORTS OF THE ALSWH WHO COMPLETED SURVEY 5 IN 2006 AND 2007 RESPECTIVELY. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: USE OF YOGA. RESULTS: THIS STUDY ESTIMATES THAT 35% OF AUSTRALIAN WOMEN AGED 28-33 AND 27% OF AUSTRALIAN WOMEN AGED 56-61 USE YOGA OR MEDITATION. YOUNGER WOMEN WITH BACK PAIN (OR=1.28; 95% CI: 1.08, 1.52) AND ALLERGIES (OR=1.25; 95% CI: 1.06, 1.49) WERE MORE LIKELY TO USE YOGA OR MEDITATION, WHILE YOUNGER WOMEN WITH MIGRAINES OR HEADACHES (OR=0.73; 95% CI: 0.62, 0.87) WERE LESS LIKELY TO USE YOGA OR MEDITATION. MID-AGE WOMEN WITH LOW IRON (OR=1.68; 95% CI: 1.29, 2.19) AND BOWEL PROBLEMS (OR=1.37; 95% CI: 1.13, 1.65) WERE MORE LIKELY TO USE YOGA OR MEDITATION, WHILE MID AGE WOMEN WITH HYPERTENSION (OR=0.62; 95% CI: 0.52, 0.76) WERE LESS LIKELY TO USE YOGA OR MEDITATION. CONCLUSION: A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF THE FEMALE POPULATION ARE USING YOGA OR MEDITATION. GIVEN THAT WOMEN WHO REGULARLY USE YOGA OR MEDITATION POSITIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH MEASURES OF MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH, THERE IS A NEED FOR FURTHER RESEARCH TO EXAMINE THE EXPERIENCES AND POTENTIAL BENEFITS OF THESE MIND-BODY PRACTICES FOR WOMEN'S HEALTH. 2011 2 1802 42 PREVALENCE AND PREDICTORS OF YOGIC BREATHING AND MEDITATION USE - A NATIONALLY REPRESENTATIVE SURVEY OF US ADULT YOGA PRACTITIONERS. INTRODUCTION: YOGA PRACTICE IN COMMON USAGE IS OFTEN CONFINED TO THE PHYSICAL ASPECTS OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PRACTICE. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO EXAMINE THE USE OF TWO ADDITIONAL ASPECTS OF YOGA AS PART OF YOGA PRACTICE, I.E. YOGIC BREATHING AND MEDITATION (YOBAM). PREVALENCE AND PREDICTORS OF YOBAM USE AMONG YOGA PRACTITIONERS IN THE US GENERAL POPULATION WERE ANALYZED. METHOD: CROSS-SECTIONAL DATA FROM THE 2012 AND 2017 NATIONAL HEALTH INTERVIEW SURVEY (NHIS) (N = 61,267) WAS USED. 12-MONTH PREVALENCE OF YOGA USE AND YOBAM USE AMONG YOGA PRACTITIONERS WERE ANALYZED DESCRIPTIVELY FOR THE TWO COHORTS RESPECTIVELY. LOGISTIC REGRESSION ANALYSES WERE USED TO ANALYZE SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC AND HEALTH-RELATED PREDICTORS OF YOBAM USE AMONG YOGA PRACTITIONERS. RESULTS: 12-MONTH PREVALENCE OF YOGA USE AND YOBAM USE WERE 8.9 % AND 4.8 % RESPECTIVELY IN 2012. IN 2017, 13.3 % HAD PRACTICED YOGA IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS AND 7.0 % HAD USED YOBAM. YOGA PRACTITIONERS AGED BETWEEN 50 AND 64 COMPARED TO BEING 29 OR YOUNGER, FEMALES, HISPANICS AND THOSE EXPERIENCING MILD TO SEVERE FORMS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS WERE MORE LIKELY TO USE YOBAM AS PART OF THEIR YOGA PRACTICE. YOGA PRACTITIONERS LIVING IN THE MIDWEST OR IN A RELATIONSHIP WERE LESS LIKELY TO USE YOBAM. CONCLUSION: IN RECENT YEARS, THE NUMBER OF YOGA PRACTITIONERS IN THE US GENERAL POPULATION HAS CONSIDERABLY INCREASED AND YOBAM USE IS COMMON AMONG YOGA PRACTITIONERS. YOBAM USE SEEMS TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH AGE, GENDER, ETHNICITY, REGION, MARITAL STATUS AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS DIMENSIONS. 2021 3 2748 42 YOGA PRACTICE IN ENGLAND 1997-2008: PREVALENCE, TEMPORAL TRENDS, AND CORRELATES OF PARTICIPATION. BACKGROUND: YOGA IS A HOLISTIC PRACTICE THAT MAY OFFER SEVERAL HEALTH BENEFITS. NO STUDY HAS EXAMINED THE PREVALENCE, TEMPORAL TRENDS, OR CORRELATES OF YOGA PRACTICE AT THE POPULATION LEVEL IN A EUROPEAN COUNTRY AND VERY FEW SUCH STUDIES EXIST WORLDWIDE. THE OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY IS TO EXAMINE THE PREVALENCE, TRENDS AND CORRELATES OF YOGA PRACTICE IN ENGLAND BETWEEN 1997 AND 2008. FINDINGS: ANALYSIS WAS CONDUCTED IN EARLY 2013 USING HEALTH SURVEY FOR ENGLAND DATA. INDEPENDENT COHORTS, REPRESENTATIVE OF ADULTS LIVING IN ENGLAND, WERE SURVEYED IN ANNUAL CYCLES IN 1997-1999, 2003-2004, AND 2006/2008. PREVALENCE OF YOGA PRACTICE (DEFINED AS ANY PRACTICE IN THE PAST FOUR WEEKS) WAS DETERMINED AT EACH TIME POINT AND MULTIPLE LOGISTIC REGRESSION WAS USED TO EXAMINE TEMPORAL TRENDS (USING 1997-1999 AS REFERENCE TIME POINT) AND THE CORRELATES OF YOGA PRACTICE. THE PREVALENCE OF YOGA PRACTICE WAS 0.46% (95% CI: 0.39%-0.52%) IN 1997-1999, 0.94% (0.83%-1.06%) IN 2003-2004, AND 1.11% (0.95%-1.28%) IN 2006/2008. YOGA PARTICIPANTS IN ENGLAND WERE MORE LIKELY TO BE OLDER, FEMALE, DEGREE EDUCATED, OF NON-MANUAL SOCIAL CLASS, LOWER BMI, BETTER SELF-RATED GENERAL HEALTH, INACTIVE OCCUPATION, AND HIGHER MODERATE-TO-VIGOROUS PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. ADJUSTED FOR AGE, SEX, SOCIAL CLASS, AND LONG STANDING ILLNESSES, THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT INCREASING TREND OF YOGA PRACTICE FROM 1997 TO 2008 (2003/04 OR = 1.93, 95% CI: 1.59-2.34; 2006/08 OR = 2.19, 95% CI: 1.77-2.71). CONCLUSIONS: YOGA PRACTICE HAS INCREASED IN POPULARITY, THOUGH THE ABSOLUTE RATES ARE STILL RELATIVELY LOW. FUTURE POPULATION STUDIES SHOULD MORE COMPREHENSIVELY EXAMINE THE CONTEXTS, SETTINGS, STYLES, CORRELATES AND HEALTH BENEFITS OF YOGA PRACTICE. 2014 4 468 51 CHARACTERISTICS OF WOMEN WHO PRACTICE YOGA IN DIFFERENT LOCATIONS DURING PREGNANCY. OBJECTIVES: YOGA PRACTICE DURING PREGNANCY IS GAINING INCREASING POPULARITY. THIS STUDY EXAMINED THE CHARACTERISTICS OF PREGNANT WOMEN WHO PRACTICED YOGA IN REGARD TO THE DIFFERENT LOCATIONS (AT HOME, IN YOGA CLASSES, OR BOTH). DESIGN: THE STUDY SAMPLE WAS DRAWN FROM THE AUSTRALIAN LONGITUDINAL STUDY ON WOMEN'S HEALTH (ALSWH), A NATIONAL LONGITUDINAL STUDY OF WOMEN TO INVESTIGATE MULTIPLE FACTORS AFFECTING HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OF WOMEN OVER A 20-YEAR PERIOD. SETTING: POSTAL SURVEY. PARTICIPANTS: WOMEN BORN BETWEEN 1973 AND 1978, WHO WERE RANDOMLY SELECTED FROM THE NATIONAL MEDICARE DATABASE AND IDENTIFIED AS BEING PREGNANT OR HAVING RECENTLY GIVEN BIRTH (N=2316). OUTCOME MEASURES: RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN YOGA USE (ATTENDING YOGA CLASSES AND/OR PRACTISING YOGA AT HOME) AND WOMEN'S CHARACTERISTICS (DEMOGRAPHIC MEASURES, PREGNANCY-RELATED HEALTH CONCERNS, HEALTH SERVICE UTILISATION, ATTITUDES TO COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE). RESULTS: PRACTISING YOGA BOTH AT HOME AND IN CLASSES WAS ASSOCIATED WITH PERCEIVING COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE (CAM) AS PREVENTATIVE (ODDS RATIO (OR)=1.62); PERCEIVING CAM AS AFFORDING HEALTH CONTROL (OR=1.50); EXPERIENCING SADNESS (OR=1.72); PREPARING FOR LABOUR (OR=2.31); BIRTHING IN A BIRTH CENTRE (OR=7.97); AND EXPERIENCING LESS VOMITING (OR=0.38). PRACTISING AT HOME ONLY WAS ASSOCIATED WITH PERCEIVING CAM AS AFFORDING HEALTH CONTROL (OR=1.76); PERCEIVING CAM AS PROMOTING A HOLISTIC HEALTH APPROACH (OR=1.65); AND BIRTHING IN A BIRTH CENTRE (OR=3.54). PRACTISING IN CLASSES ONLY WAS ASSOCIATED WITH EXPERIENCING STRESS (OR=1.97); AND BIRTHING IN A BIRTH CENTRE (OR=4.85) (ALL P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: THE FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT THE LOCATION IN WHICH A WOMAN PRACTICES YOGA IS ASSOCIATED WITH ATTITUDINAL, HEALTH-RELATED AND BIRTH ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS. 2015 5 1807 42 PREVALENCE, PATTERNS, AND PREDICTORS OF YOGA USE: RESULTS OF A U.S. NATIONALLY REPRESENTATIVE SURVEY. INTRODUCTION: THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO INVESTIGATE THE PREVALENCE, PATTERNS, AND PREDICTORS OF YOGA USE IN THE U.S. GENERAL POPULATION. METHODS: USING CROSS-SECTIONAL DATA FROM THE 2012 NATIONAL HEALTH INTERVIEW SURVEY FAMILY CORE, SAMPLE ADULT CORE, AND ADULT COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE QUESTIONNAIRES (N=34,525), WEIGHTED FREQUENCIES FOR LIFETIME AND 12-MONTH PREVALENCE OF YOGA USE AND PATTERNS OF YOGA PRACTICE WERE ANALYZED. USING LOGISTIC REGRESSION ANALYSES, SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC PREDICTORS OF LIFETIME YOGA USE WERE ANALYZED. ANALYSES WERE CONDUCTED IN 2015. RESULTS: LIFETIME AND 12-MONTH PREVALENCE OF YOGA USE WERE 13.2% AND 8.9%, RESPECTIVELY. COMPARED WITH NONPRACTITIONERS, LIFETIME YOGA PRACTITIONERS WERE MORE LIKELY FEMALE, YOUNGER, NON-HISPANIC WHITE, COLLEGE EDUCATED, HIGHER EARNERS, LIVING IN THE WEST, AND OF BETTER HEALTH STATUS. AMONG THOSE WHO HAD PRACTICED IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS, 51.2% ATTENDED YOGA CLASSES, 89.9% USED BREATHING EXERCISES, AND 54.9% USED MEDITATION. YOGA WAS PRACTICED FOR GENERAL WELLNESS OR DISEASE PREVENTION (78.4%), TO IMPROVE ENERGY (66.1%), OR TO IMPROVE IMMUNE FUNCTION (49.7%). BACK PAIN (19.7%), STRESS (6.4%), AND ARTHRITIS (6.4%) WERE THE MAIN SPECIFIC HEALTH PROBLEMS FOR WHICH PEOPLE PRACTICED YOGA. CONCLUSIONS: ABOUT 31 MILLION U.S. ADULTS HAVE EVER USED YOGA, AND ABOUT 21 MILLION PRACTICED YOGA IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS. DISEASE PREVENTION AND BACK PAIN RELIEF WERE THE MOST IMPORTANT HEALTH REASONS FOR YOGA PRACTICE. YOGA PRACTICE IS ASSOCIATED WITH AGE, GENDER, ETHNICITY, SES, AND HEALTH STATUS. 2016 6 1806 39 PREVALENCE, PATTERNS, AND PREDICTORS OF YOGA PRACTICE AMONG ADULTS IN AN URBAN POPULATION IN EASTERN INDIA. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO DETERMINE THE PREVALENCE AND PREDICTORS OF YOGA PRACTICE. THIS CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY WAS CONDUCTED AS A PART OF A LARGER STUDY THAT INCLUDED YOGA AS A FORM OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. DATA WERE COLLECTED DURING APRIL AND AUGUST 2019 FROM THE ADULT URBAN POPULATION OF BHUBANESWAR, INDIA. THIS STUDY WAS CONDUCTED USING A CLUSTER RANDOM SAMPLING METHOD. A REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE (N = 1,203) OF ADULTS AGED 18-59 YEARS, IRRESPECTIVE OF GENDER, WAS INTERVIEWED USING A QUESTIONNAIRE ADAPTED FROM THE 2012 U.S. NATIONAL HEALTH INTERVIEW SURVEY, WITH THE EPICOLLECT5 HANDHELD DATA-COLLECTION TOOL. PREDICTORS OF YOGA PRACTICE WERE EXPLORED USING MULTIVARIABLE LOGISTIC REGRESSION. THE MEAN AGE OF THE PARTICIPANTS WAS 35.19 +/- 10.67 YEARS, WITH 55.3% MALES. THE MAJORITY WERE HINDU (93.62%) AND BELONGED TO THE UNRE S E RVED CATEGORY (65.60%), PEOPLE GENERALLY OF HIGHER RELATIVE SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS. THE LIFETIME PREVALENCE OF YOGA WAS 16.9%. PREVALENCE OF ANY FORM OF YOGA (YOGA, PRANAYAMA, OR MEDITATION), ALL FORMS OF YOGA (YOGA, PRANAYAMA, AND MEDITATION), PRANAYAMA, AND MEDITATION WAS 17.0%, 10.7%, 14.3%, AND 11.4%, RESPECTIVELY. AFTER ADJUSTING FOR CONFOUNDERS, FEMALE GENDER, HINDU RELIGION, MINIMUM OF HIGHER-SECONDARY OR GRADUATE-LEVEL EDUCATION, AND HAVING RECEIVED ADVICE FROM PROFESSIONALS FOR YOGA PRACTICE HAD SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER ODDS OF PRACTICING YOGA, AND THOSE OF HIGHER SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS HAD SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER ODDS OF PRACTICING YOGA. WE FOUND A LOW PREVALENCE OF YOGA. SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS LIKE GENDER, RELIGION, EDUCATION, SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS, AND OTHER FACTORS LIKE LEARNING YOGA FROM PROFESSIONALS MAY BE IMPORTANT PREDICTORS OF CONTINUED YOGA PRACTICE. 2021 7 2052 39 THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN REGULAR YOGA AND MEDITATION PRACTICE AND FALLS AND INJURIES: RESULTS OF A NATIONAL CROSS-SECTIONAL SURVEY AMONG AUSTRALIAN WOMEN. INTRODUCTION: FALLS ARE THE LEADING CAUSE OF INJURIES IN WOMEN ACROSS ALL AGES. WHILE YOGA HAS BEEN SHOWN TO INCREASE BALANCE, IT HAS ALSO BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH INJURIES DUE TO FALLS DURING PRACTICE. THIS STUDY AIMED TO ANALYSE WHETHER REGULAR YOGA OR MEDITATION PRACTICE IS ASSOCIATED WITH THE FREQUENCY OF FALLS AND FALL-RELATED INJURIES IN UPPER MIDDLE-AGED AUSTRALIAN WOMEN. METHODS: WOMEN AGED 59-64 YEARS FROM THE AUSTRALIAN LONGITUDINAL STUDY ON WOMEN'S HEALTH (ALSWH) WERE QUERIED REGARDING FALLS AND FALLS-RELATED INJURIES; AND WHETHER THEY REGULARLY PRACTICED YOGA OR MEDITATION. ASSOCIATIONS OF FALLS AND FALLS-RELATED INJURIES WITH YOGA OR MEDITATION PRACTICE WERE ANALYSED USING CHI-SQUARED TESTS AND MULTIPLE LOGISTIC REGRESSION MODELLING. RESULTS: OF 10,011 WOMEN, 4413 (44.1%) HAD SLIPPED, TRIPPED OR STUMBLED, 2770 (27.7%) HAD FALLEN TO THE GROUND, 1398 (14.0%) HAD BEEN INJURED AS A RESULT OF FALLING, AND 901 (9.0%) WOMEN HAD SOUGHT MEDICAL ATTENTION FOR A FALL-RELATED INJURY WITHIN THE PREVIOUS 12 MONTHS. YOGA OR MEDITATION WAS PRACTICED REGULARLY BY 746 (7.5%) WOMEN. NO ASSOCIATIONS OF FALLS, FALL-RELATED INJURIES AND TREATMENT DUE TO FALLS-RELATED INJURY WITH YOGA OR MEDITATION PRACTICE WERE FOUND. DISCUSSION: NO ASSOCIATION BETWEEN YOGA OR MEDITATION PRACTICE AND FALLS OR FALL-RELATED INJURIES HAVE BEEN FOUND. FURTHER STUDIES ARE WARRANTED FOR CONCLUSIVE JUDGEMENT OF BENEFITS AND SAFETY OF YOGA AND MEDITATION IN RELATION TO BALANCE, FALLS AND FALL-RELATED INJURIES. 2016 8 2051 37 THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN PRENATAL YOGA AND THE ADMINISTRATION OF RITODRINE HYDROCHLORIDE DURING PREGNANCY: AN ADJUNCT STUDY OF THE JAPAN ENVIRONMENT AND CHILDREN'S STUDY. INTRODUCTION: WHILE THE BENEFICIAL EFFECTS OF PRENATAL YOGA HAVE BEEN REPORTED IN RECENT YEARS, LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT ITS EFFECTIVENESS IN PREGNANT JAPANESE WOMEN. DESPITE SEVERAL ADVERSE EFFECTS, RITODRINE HYDROCHLORIDE IS FREQUENTLY PRESCRIBED TO SUPPRESS PRETERM LABOR IN JAPAN, AND ITS USAGE MAY THEREFORE INDICATE CASES OF PRETERM LABOR. THIS STUDY AIMED TO CLARIFY THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN PRENATAL YOGA AND RITODRINE HYDROCHLORIDE USE DURING PREGNANCY. METHODS: AN OBSERVATIONAL STUDY WAS CONDUCTED AS AN ADJUNCT STUDY BY THE HOKKAIDO UNIT OF THE JAPAN ENVIRONMENT AND CHILDREN'S STUDY. INFORMATION ON PRENATAL YOGA PRACTICE WAS COLLECTED USING A SELF-QUESTIONNAIRE BETWEEN MARCH 21, 2012, AND JULY 7, 2015, TARGETING WOMEN WHO HAD RECENTLY DELIVERED. RITODRINE HYDROCHLORIDE USE WAS IDENTIFIED FROM MEDICAL RECORDS. A TOTAL OF 2,692 WOMEN WERE ANALYZED USING LOGISTIC REGRESSION MODELS THAT ADJUSTED FOR POSSIBLE CONFOUNDERS. RESULTS: THERE WERE 567 (21.1%) WOMEN WHO PRACTICED PRENATAL YOGA, WHICH WAS ASSOCIATED WITH A LOWER RISK OF RITODRINE HYDROCHLORIDE USE (ADJUSTED ODDS RATIO [OR] 0.77; 95% CI 0.61-0.98). THIS WAS ESPECIALLY EVIDENT IN WOMEN WITH A TOTAL PRACTICE DURATION THAT EXCEEDED 900 MINUTES THROUGHOUT THEIR PREGNANCY (ADJUSTED OR 0.54; 95% CI 0.38-0.76). A SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS THAT EXCLUDED PATIENTS WITH THREATENED ABORTION DURING THE STUDY PERIOD PRODUCED SIMILAR RESULTS. CONCLUSIONS: PRENATAL YOGA WAS ASSOCIATED WITH A LOWER RISK OF RITODRINE HYDROCHLORIDE USE, PARTICULARLY IN WOMEN WITH MORE THAN 900 MINUTES OF PRACTICE TIME OVER THE COURSE OF THEIR PREGNANCY. PRENATAL YOGA MAY BE A BENEFICIAL OPTION FOR PREGNANT WOMEN IN THE SELECTION OF ALTERNATIVE THERAPIES. 2016 9 2890 30 YOGA: POTENTIAL BENEFITS FOR PERSONS WHO STUTTER. YOGA HAS BEEN DEMONSTRATED TO MODULATE AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM ACTIVITY, DECREASING ANXIETY AND STRESS, AND IMPROVING QUALITY OF LIFE. THIS PRELIMINARY STUDY SOUGHT TO EXAMINE THE USE OF YOGIC TECHNIQUES ON PERSONS WHO STUTTER GIVEN THE INTERACTION BETWEEN PHYSIOLOGICAL AROUSAL/ANXIETY AND STUTTERING THAT CURRENT MULTIFACTORIAL MODELS OF STUTTERING PROPOSE. FOUR PARTICIPANTS (M = 52 YR, SD = 10; 2 FEMALE, 2 MALE), RECRUITED FROM LOCAL STUTTERING SUPPORT GROUPS IN THE GREATER PHILADELPHIA COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERED TO PARTICIPATE. STUTTERING SEVERITY, ANXIETY, AND EXPERIENCES REGARDING STUTTERING AND COMMUNICATION WERE MEASURED AT BASELINE, POST INTERVENTION, AND AT 4 MONTHS FOLLOW-UP. THE PARTICIPANTS ATTENDED GROUP YOGA SESSIONS AND ENGAGED IN HOME PRACTICE. DESCRIPTIVE RESULTS REVEALED THAT PARTICIPANTS SHOWED IMPROVEMENTS ACROSS OUTCOME MEASURES, WITH THE MOST IMPROVEMENT RELATED TO ANXIETY. PARTICIPANTS ALSO REPORTED IMPROVEMENTS IN THEIR PERCEPTIONS ABOUT COMMUNICATION AS PER QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS OF RESPONSES TO THE OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONNAIRES. THE RESULTS SUGGEST THE POTENTIAL BENEFITS OF YOGA FOR PERSONS WHO STUTTER AND WARRANTS FURTHER STUDY USING AN EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN. 2016 10 918 31 EFFECTIVENESS OF TRAINING PROGRAM COMBINING CHAKRAYOGA AND MEDITATION. BACKGROUND THIS STUDY WAS DESIGNED TO EXAMINE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF PROGRAM COMBINING CHAKRAYOGA AND MEDITATION ON THE PHYSICAL HEALTH AND DISEASE-RELATED FACTORS AND PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS OF PEOPLE. METHODS NINETY-SEVEN SUBJECTS (32-83 YEARS OLD) WHO HAD FREE FROM PRIOR EXPERIENCES IN MEDITATION PROGRAMS OR CHAKRAYOGA TRAINING COURSES WERE ASSIGNED TO EITHER THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP (EXP) (45 SUBJECTS; 13 MALE SUBJECTS AND 32 FEMALE SUBJECTS; AVERAGE AGE OF 60.67 YEARS, SD=11.09 YEARS) OR THE CONTROL GROUP (CONT) OF REMAINING SUBJECTS (52 SUBJECTS; 14 MALE SUBJECTS AND 38 FEMALE SUBJECTS; AVERAGE AGE OF 61.58 YEARS, SD=9.70 YEARS). SUBJECTS IN THE EXP PARTICIPATED IN THE CHAKRAYOGA MEDITATION PROGRAM FOR TWICE A WEEK FOR 2 H DURING 6 WEEKS IN EACH SESSION CONSISTED OF 1 H OF CHAKRAYOGA AND 1 H OF MEDITATION. THE MEASUREMENTS IN THIS STUDY INCLUDED THE MINDFULNESS, STRESS RESPONSE, SUBJECTIVE QUALITY OF LIFE, MEDICAL SYMPTOM CHECKLIST, DIFFICULTY IN EMOTIONAL REGULATION AND OBJECTIVE OF LIFE AND SENSE OF CONTROL. RESULTS RESULTS REVEALED THAT PARTICIPANTS IN THE EXP REPORTED SIGNIFICANTLY MORE RELIEF OF MINDFULNESS, STRESS RESPONSE, SUBJECTIVE QUALITY OF LIFE AND MEDICAL SYMPTOM CHECKLIST THAN THOSE IN THE CONT. CONCLUSIONS THESE FINDINGS PROVIDE EVIDENCE THAT THE CHAKRAYOGA MEDITATION PROGRAM CAN HELP RELIEVE THE PHYSICAL HEALTH AND DISEASE-RELATED FACTORS AND PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS. 2019 11 1511 40 IS THE PRACTICE OF YOGA OR MEDITATION ASSOCIATED WITH A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE? RESULTS OF A NATIONAL CROSS-SECTIONAL SURVEY OF 28,695 AUSTRALIAN WOMEN. OBJECTIVES: TO EXAMINE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YOGA/MEDITATION PRACTICE AND HEALTH BEHAVIOR IN AUSTRALIAN WOMEN. METHODS: WOMEN AGED 19-25YEARS, 31-36YEARS, AND 62-67YEARS FROM THE AUSTRALIAN LONGITUDINAL STUDY ON WOMEN'S HEALTH (ALSWH) WERE SURVEYED REGARDING SMOKING, ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE, PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND DIETARY BEHAVIOR; AND WHETHER THEY PRACTICED YOGA/MEDITATION ON A REGULAR BASIS. ASSOCIATIONS OF HEALTH BEHAVIORS WITH YOGA/MEDITATION PRACTICE WERE ANALYZED USING MULTIPLE LOGISTIC REGRESSION MODELLING. RESULTS: 11,344, 8200, AND 9151 WOMEN AGED 19-25YEARS, 31-36YEARS, AND 62-67YEARS, RESPECTIVELY, WERE INCLUDED OF WHICH 29.0%, 21.7%, AND 20.7%, RESPECTIVELY, PRACTICED YOGA/MEDITATION. WOMEN PRACTICING YOGA/MEDITATION WERE SIGNIFICANTLY MORE LIKELY TO REPORT AT LEAST MODERATE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY LEVELS (OR=1.50-2.79), TO FOLLOW A VEGETARIAN (OR=1.67-3.22) OR VEGAN (OR=2.26-3.68) DIET, AND TO REPORT THE USE OF MARIJUANA (OR=1.28-1.89) AND ILLICIT DRUGS IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS (OR=1.23-1.98). CONCLUSIONS: YOGA/MEDITATION PRACTICE WAS ASSOCIATED WITH HIGHER PHYSICAL ACTIVITY LEVELS, A HIGHER LIKELIHOOD OF VEGETARIAN OR VEGAN DIET USE, AND A HIGHER LIKELIHOOD OF DRUG USE. WHILE HEALTH PROFESSIONALS SHOULD KEEP THE POTENTIAL VULNERABILITY OF YOGA/MEDITATION PRACTITIONERS TO DRUG USE IN MIND, THE POSITIVE ASSOCIATIONS OF YOGA/MEDITATION WITH A VARIETY OF POSITIVE HEALTH BEHAVIORS WARRANT ITS CONSIDERATION IN PREVENTIVE MEDICINE AND HEALTHCARE. 2017 12 2167 32 THE EFFECTS OF YOGA IN HELPING CANCER PATIENTS AND CAREGIVERS MANAGE THE STRESS OF A NATURAL DISASTER: A BRIEF REPORT ON HURRICANE HARVEY. BACKGROUND: THIS SMALL QUALITATIVE STUDY REPORTS ON THE EXPERIENCES OF PATIENTS AND FAMILY CAREGIVERS WHO PARTICIPATED IN A DYADIC YOGA PILOT TRIAL WHILE UNDERGOING CANCER TREATMENT IN THE MIDST OF HURRICANE HARVEY. OUR PRIMARY PURPOSE WAS TO DETERMINE IF PARTICIPANTS IMPLEMENTED COMPONENTS OF THE PROGRAM TO COPE WITH THE STRESSORS ASSOCIATED WITH HURRICANE HARVEY AND IF THEY PERCEIVED BENEFITS FROM THE YOGA PRACTICES. METHODS: WE ADMINISTERED BRIEF SEMISTRUCTURED INTERVIEWS TO THE DYADS PARTICIPATING IN A DYADIC YOGA PILOT TRIAL. PARTICIPANTS (N = 5 DYADS) WERE ASKED TO DISCUSS THEIR EXPERIENCE WITH HURRICANE HARVEY, INCLUDING FACTORS THAT HELPED THEM COPE WITH THE EVENT WHILE RECEIVING TREATMENT. RESULT: PATIENTS HAD A MEAN AGE OF 55.6 YEARS, WERE MOSTLY NON-HISPANIC WHITE, MALE, AND HAD ADVANCE STAGE HEAD AND NECK CANCER. CAREGIVERS HAD A MEAN AGE OF 58 YEARS AND WERE MAINLY NON-HISPANIC WHITE AND FEMALE. ANALYSES OF THE INTERVIEWS REVEALED 2 OVERARCHING THEMES: (1) THE STORM'S NEGATIVE IMPACT AND (2) THE USE OF YOGA TO COPE WITH THE HURRICANE-RELATED STRESSORS. CONCLUSIONS: PATIENT-CAREGIVER DYADS EXPERIENCED PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS DURING THE STORM AND/OR ITS AFTERMATH. DYADS USED YOGA TECHNIQUES TO COPE WITH THESE PSYCHOLOGICAL STRESSORS. YOGA SERVED AS A MEANS OF SOCIAL SUPPORT AS DYADS EITHER PARTICIPATED IN THESE ACTIVITIES TOGETHER OR WITH OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS. 2019 13 1886 38 REFERRAL TO YOGA THERAPISTS IN RURAL PRIMARY HEALTH CARE: A SURVEY OF GENERAL PRACTITIONERS IN RURAL AND REGIONAL NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA. BACKGROUND: YOGA IS AN INCREASINGLY ACCEPTED COMPLEMENTARY TREATMENT MODALITY FOR REFERRAL IN AUSTRALIAN GENERAL PRACTICE, YET THIS PRACTITIONER GROUP HAS LARGELY ESCAPED RESEARCH ATTENTION IN AUSTRALIA. COMPLEMENTARY MEDICINE USE IS HIGHEST IN RURAL AND REGIONAL AREAS, WHERE A NUMBER OF PRIMARY HEALTH CARE CHALLENGES ARE ALSO MORE PRONOUNCED. DESPITE THE SIGNIFICANT ROLE OF COMPLEMENTARY THERAPISTS IN RURAL AND REGIONAL AUSTRALIA, AND THE INCREASING ACCEPTANCE OF YOGA THERAPY IN GENERAL PRACTICE, THERE HAS BEEN LITTLE EXPLORATION OF THE INTERFACE BETWEEN YOGA THERAPISTS AND CONVENTIONAL PRIMARY HEALTH CARE PRACTITIONERS IN THIS AREA. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A 27-ITEM QUESTIONNAIRE WAS SENT TO ALL 1486 GENERAL PRACTITIONERS (GPS) CURRENTLY PRACTISING IN RURAL AND REGIONAL DIVISIONS OF GENERAL PRACTICE IN NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA. RESULTS: COMPLETED QUESTIONNAIRES WERE RETURNED BY 585 GPS, WITH 49 RETURNED AS 'NO LONGER AT THIS ADDRESS' (RESPONSE RATE 40.7%). ONE-IN-EIGHT GPS (12.1%) ADVISED THEIR PATIENTS OF SPECIFIC YOGA THERAPIES AND PROTOCOLS, AND 7.2% ADVISED SPECIFIC MEDITATION TECHNIQUES. THREE-QUARTERS OF GPS (76.6%) REFERRED TO A YOGA THERAPIST AT LEAST A FEW TIMES PER YEAR, WITH 12.5% OF GPS REFERRING AT LEAST ONCE PER WEEK. GPS BEING IN A REMOTE LOCATION (OR = 10.95; CI: 1.55, 77.31), BEING FEMALE (OR = 1.85; 95% CI: 1.16, 2.94), GPS GRADUATING FROM AN AUSTRALIAN MEDICAL SCHOOL (OR = 4.52; 95% CI: 2.61, 7.80), PERCEIVING LACK OF OTHER TREATMENT OPTIONS (OR = 3.29; 95% CI: 1.61, 6.74), GPS REPORTING GOOD OR VERY GOOD KNOWLEDGE OF YOGA THERAPIES (OR = 18.2; 95% CI: 9.19, 36.19), AND GPS USING CAM FOR THEIR OWN PERSONAL HEALTH (OR = 4.53; 95% CI: 2.60, 7.87) WERE ALL INDEPENDENTLY PREDICTIVE OF INCREASED REFERRAL TO YOGA THERAPISTS AMONGST THE RURAL GPS IN THIS STUDY. CONCLUSIONS: THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT INTERFACE BETWEEN YOGA THERAPISTS IN AUSTRALIAN RURAL AND REGIONAL GENERAL PRACTICE. THERE IS GENERALLY HIGH SUPPORT FOR YOGA THERAPIES AMONG AUSTRALIAN GPS, WITH LOW LEVELS OF OPPOSITION TO THE INCORPORATION OF THESE THERAPIES IN PATIENT CARE. THERE IS A NEED FOR INCREASED RESEARCH INTO YOGA THERAPIES PRACTICE, POLICY AND REGULATION IN THESE AREAS. 2014 14 471 36 CHARACTERISTICS OF YOGA PRACTITIONERS, MOTIVATORS, AND YOGA TECHNIQUES OF CHOICE: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY. BACKGROUND: THE CHARACTERISTICS OF YOGA PRACTITIONERS AND FACTORS MOTIVATING PEOPLE TO PRACTICE YOGA HAVE BEEN STUDIED IN THE US AND IN AUSTRALIA. THIS STUDY AIMED TO DETERMINE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF YOGA USERS IN INDIA, THE FACTORS THAT MOTIVATE THEM TO PRACTICE YOGA, AND THE YOGA TECHNIQUES OF CHOICE. MATERIALS AND METHODS: THE STUDY WAS A ONE-TIME, CROSS-SECTIONAL SURVEY BASED ON CONVENIENCE SAMPLING. INCLUSION CRITERIA WERE (A) A MINIMUM OF 1 WEEK EXPERIENCE OF YOGA AND (B) AT LEAST 10 YEARS OF AGE. 14,250 PEOPLE RECEIVED THE SURVEY. AFTER EXCLUDING THOSE WHO DID NOT MEET THE INCLUSION CRITERIA OR FILLED IN THE SURVEY INCOMPLETELY OR INCORRECTLY, 5,157 RESPONDENTS WERE INCLUDED IN THE STUDY. RESULTS: OUT OF 5,157 RESPONDENTS, THERE WERE MORE MALES (67.3%), AGED BETWEEN 21 AND 44 YEARS (33.7% OF THE SAMPLE SURVEYED), EDUCATED UP TO HIGH SCHOOL (62.5%), STUDENTS (39.3%), AND THOSE WHO HAD BETWEEN 1 AND 12 MONTHS OF EXPERIENCE IN YOGA (54.4%). THE FIRST MOST COMMON REASON TO PRACTICE YOGA FOR ALL RESPONDENTS WAS PHYSICAL FITNESS. THREE OF THE REMAINING REASONS TO PRACTICE YOGA DIFFERED SIGNIFICANTLY WITH AGE: (I) YOGA FOR DISEASE MANAGEMENT (CHI(2) = 17.62, P < 0.005), (II) YOGA AS A HOBBY (CHI(2) = 10.87, P < 0.05), AND (III) YOGA BASED ON THE GURU'S (TEACHER'S) INSTRUCTIONS (CHI(2) = 20.05, P < 0.001). THE YOGA TECHNIQUE OF CHOICE [I.E., (I) ASANAS (CHI(2) = 23.17, P < 0.001), (II) PRANAYAMA (CHI(2) = 19.87, P < 0.001), OR (III) MEDITATION (CHI(2) = 9.64, P < 0.05)] DIFFERED SIGNIFICANTLY ACROSS AGE GROUPS. CONCLUSION: IN INDIA, A YOGA PRACTITIONER WAS MORE LIKELY TO BE MALE, BETWEEN 21 AND 44 YEARS OF AGE, HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATED, AND A STUDENT. THE REASONS TO PRACTICE YOGA AND THE YOGA TECHNIQUE OF CHOICE DIFFERED SIGNIFICANTLY WITH AGE. 2017 15 554 37 CORRELATION OF PERSONAL EXPERIENCE AND ACQUIRED KNOWLEDGE WITH INTENT TO RECOMMEND ADJUNCTIVE OSTEOPATHIC MANIPULATIVE TREATMENT OR YOGA FOR PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN. CONTEXT: OSTEOPATHIC MANIPULATIVE TREATMENT (OMT) AND YOGA ARE BOTH RECOMMENDED BY SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS IN THE EVIDENCE-BASED RESEARCH LITERATURE FOR LOW BACK PAIN MANAGEMENT. IT IS UNKNOWN, TO THE AUTHORS' KNOWLEDGE, WHAT THE EFFECT OF PERSONAL EXPERIENCE WITH OMT OR YOGA, READING RESEARCH ARTICLES ON OMT OR YOGA, OR BOTH WILL HAVE ON MEDICAL STUDENTS' RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THESE TREATMENT OPTIONS TO FUTURE PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN. OBJECTIVE: TO EVALUATE THE LIKELIHOOD OF OSTEOPATHIC MEDICAL STUDENTS RECOMMENDING OMT OR YOGA TO TREAT PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN BASED ON THEIR PERSONAL EXPERIENCE OR READING RESEARCH ARTICLES THAT RECOMMEND OMT OR YOGA FOR PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN. METHODS: IN THIS PROSPECTIVE COHORT STUDY, RESEARCHERS ADMINISTERED AN ANONYMOUS 18-QUESTION ONLINE SURVEY FOR OSTEOPATHIC MEDICAL STUDENTS. THE SURVEY INCLUDED A PATIENT VIGNETTE, 2 EVIDENCE-BASED ARTICLES, AND MULTIPLE CHOICE, YES/NO, AND LIKERT-TYPE QUESTIONS. PARTICIPANTS WERE RECRUITED VIA EMAIL FROM ALL 4 YEARS OF MEDICAL SCHOOL. BETWEEN-GROUP DIFFERENCES IN PROPORTIONS WERE ASSESSED WITH DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS AND CHI2 TESTS; DIFFERENCES WITHIN GROUPS WERE ASSESSED WITH THE MCNEMAR TEST; AND FISCHER EXACT TESTS WERE USED WHEN EXPECTED CELL COUNTS WERE LESS THAN 5. RESULTS: A TOTAL OF 180 PARTICIPANTS (100 MALE, 80 FEMALE) COMPLETED THE STUDY. PERSONAL EXPERIENCE INCREASED THE LIKELIHOOD OF OSTEOPATHIC MEDICAL STUDENTS RECOMMENDING OMT (P<.018) OR YOGA (P<.001) TO A FUTURE PATIENT OR TO A PATIENT IN A CASE VIGNETTE (P<.05) WITH CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN. STUDENTS WHO READ RESEARCH ARTICLES WERE MORE LIKELY TO RECOMMEND OMT TO THE CASE PATIENT AND FUTURE PATIENTS BEFORE AND AFTER READING THE INTERVENTION ARTICLE REGARDLESS OF THEIR EXPERIENCE (P<.001). CONCLUSION: PERSONAL EXPERIENCE AND READING EVIDENCE-BASED RESEARCH MAY INCREASE THE LIKELIHOOD THAT OSTEOPATHIC MEDICAL STUDENTS WILL RECOMMEND OMT TO FUTURE PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN. 2018 16 363 38 ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN YOGA/MEDITATION USE, BODY SATISFACTION, AND WEIGHT MANAGEMENT METHODS: RESULTS OF A NATIONAL CROSS-SECTIONAL SURVEY OF 8009 AUSTRALIAN WOMEN. OBJECTIVES: TO ANALYZE WHETHER YOGA OR MEDITATION USE IS ASSOCIATED WITH BODY (DIS)SATISFACTION AND WEIGHT CONTROL METHODS IN AUSTRALIAN WOMEN. METHODS: WOMEN AGES 34 TO 39 Y FROM THE AUSTRALIAN LONGITUDINAL STUDY ON WOMEN'S HEALTH WERE SURVEYED REGARDING BODY SATISFACTION, WEIGHT CONTROL BEHAVIORS, AND YOGA AND MEDITATION PRACTICE. ASSOCIATIONS OF BODY SATISFACTION AND WEIGHT CONTROL METHODS WITH YOGA/MEDITATION PRACTICE WERE ANALYZED USING CHI-SQUARED TESTS AND MULTIPLE LOGISTIC REGRESSION MODELLING. RESULTS: OF THE 8009 WOMEN, 49% WERE OVERWEIGHT OR OBESE. SIXTY-FIVE PERCENT OF WOMEN WITH NORMAL BODY MASS INDEX (BMI) AND APPROXIMATELY 95% OF WOMEN WITH OVERWEIGHT/OBESITY WANTED TO LOSE WEIGHT. AT LEAST ONE IN FOUR WOMEN WITH NORMAL BMI WAS DISSATISFIED WITH BODY WEIGHT AND SHAPE, AS WERE MORE THAN TWO IN THREE WOMEN WITH OVERWEIGHT/OBESITY. THE MOST COMMON WEIGHT CONTROL METHODS INCLUDED EXERCISING (82.7%), CUTTING DOWN MEAL SIZES (76.8%), AND CUTTING DOWN SUGARS OR FATS (71.9%). YOGA/MEDITATION WAS PRACTICED FREQUENTLY BY 688 WOMEN (8.6%) AND OCCASIONALLY BY 1176 WOMEN (14.7%). YOGA/MEDITATION USERS WITH NORMAL BMI WERE LESS LIKELY DISSATISFIED WITH BODY WEIGHT AND SHAPE. ALL YOGA/MEDITATION USERS MORE LIKELY EXERCISED AND FOLLOWED A LOW GLYCEMIC DIET OR DIET BOOKS; AND WOMEN WITH OBESITY OCCASIONALLY USING YOGA/MEDITATION ALSO MORE LIKELY USED FASTING OR SMOKING TO LOSE WEIGHT. CONCLUSION: YOGA/MEDITATION USERS WITH NORMAL BMI APPEAR TO BE MORE SATISFIED WITH THEIR BODY WEIGHT AND SHAPE THAN NON-YOGA/MEDITATION USERS. WHILE WOMEN WITH NORMAL BMI OR OVERWEIGHT TEND TO RELY ON HEALTHY WEIGHT CONTROL METHODS, WOMEN WITH OBESITY OCCASIONAL USING YOGA/MEDITATION MAY MORE LIKELY UTILIZE UNHEALTHY WEIGHT CONTROL METHODS. 2017 17 1702 51 PARTICIPATION TRENDS IN HOLISTIC MOVEMENT PRACTICES: A 10-YEAR COMPARISON OF YOGA/PILATES AND T'AI CHI/QIGONG USE AMONG A NATIONAL SAMPLE OF 195,926 AUSTRALIANS. BACKGROUND: IN RECENT DECADES, THE EVIDENCE SUPPORTING THE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH BENEFITS OF HOLISTIC MOVEMENT PRACTICES SUCH AS YOGA AND T'AI CHI HAVE BECOME INCREASINGLY ESTABLISHED. CONSEQUENTLY, INVESTIGATING THE PARTICIPATION PREVALENCE AND PATTERNS OF THESE PRACTICES IS A RELEVANT PURSUIT IN THE PUBLIC HEALTH FIELD. FEW STUDIES HAVE PROVIDED POPULATION-LEVEL ASSESSMENT OF PARTICIPATION RATES, HOWEVER, AND EVEN FEWER HAVE FOCUSED ON PATTERNS OVER TIME. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO EXAMINE PARTICIPATION PREVALENCE AND TRENDS IN YOGA/PILATES AND T'AI CHI/QIGONG OVER A TEN-YEAR PERIOD IN A NATIONALLY REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE OF AUSTRALIANS AGED 15 YEARS AND OVER, WITH PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO SEX AND AGE. A SECONDARY PURPOSE WAS TO JUXTAPOSE THESE FINDINGS WITH PARTICIPATION TRENDS IN TRADITIONAL FITNESS ACTIVITIES OVER THE SAME PERIOD. METHODS: DATA COMPRISED MODES AND TYPES OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, AGE, AND SEX VARIABLES COLLECTED THROUGH THE EXERCISE, RECREATION AND SPORT SURVEY (ERASS), A SERIES OF INDEPENDENT CROSS-SECTIONAL AUSTRALIA-WIDE SURVEYS CONDUCTED YEARLY BETWEEN 2001 AND 2010. FOR EACH YEAR, WEIGHTED POPULATION ESTIMATES WERE CALCULATED FOR THOSE PARTICIPATING IN YOGA/PILATES, T'AI CHI/QIGONG, AND FITNESS ACTIVITIES (E.G. AEROBICS, CALISTHENICS). LINEAR REGRESSION AND MULTIPLE LOGISTIC REGRESSION ANALYSES WERE USED TO EXAMINE TRENDS IN PREVALENCE RATES OVER TIME AND DIFFERENCES AMONG SEX AND AGE (15-34; 35-54; 55+ YEARS) GROUPS, RESPECTIVELY. RESULTS: AVERAGE PREVALENCE RATES BETWEEN 2001 AND 2010 WERE 3.0% (95% CI 2.9-3.1) FOR YOGA/PILATES, 0.6% (95% CI 0.5-0.6) FOR T'AI CHI/QIGONG, AND 19.2% (95% CI 18.9-19.4) FOR FITNESS ACTIVITIES. ACROSS THE DECADE, OVERALL PARTICIPATION RATES REMAINED RELATIVELY STABLE FOR YOGA/PILATES AND T'AI CHI/QIGONG, WHILE INCREASING LINEARLY FOR FITNESS ACTIVITIES. FOR BOTH GENDERS AND IN ALL THREE AGE GROUPS, PARTICIPATION IN FITNESS ACTIVITIES INCREASED, WHEREAS ONLY IN THE 55+ AGE GROUP WAS THERE A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN YOGA/PILATES PARTICIPATION; PARTICIPATION IN T'AI CHI/QIGONG DECLINED SIGNIFICANTLY IN THE TWO YOUNGER AGE GROUPS. CONCLUSIONS: PARTICIPATION RATES IN YOGA/PILATES AND T'AI CHI/QIGONG IN AUSTRALIA WERE LOW AND RELATIVELY STABLE. AS FITNESS ACTIVITIES INCREASED IN POPULARITY ACROSS THE DECADE, HOLISTIC MOVEMENT PRACTICES DID NOT. THESE FINDINGS POINT TO THE NEED TO INVESTIGATE ACTIVITY-SPECIFIC BARRIERS AND FACILITATORS TO PARTICIPATION, INCLUDING INTRAPERSONAL, INTERPERSONAL, ORGANISATIONAL, AND ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS. 2017 18 2751 39 YOGA PRACTICE IS ASSOCIATED WITH ATTENUATED WEIGHT GAIN IN HEALTHY, MIDDLE-AGED MEN AND WOMEN. BACKGROUND: YOGA IS PROMOTED OR WEIGHT MAINTENANCE, BUT THERE IS LITTLE EVIDENCE OF ITS EFFICACY. OBJECTIVE: TO EXAMINE WHETHER YOGA PRACTICE IS ASSOCIATED WITH LOWER MEAN 10-YEAR WEIGHT GAIN AFTER AGE 45. PARTICIPANTS: PARTICIPANTS INCLUDED 15,550 ADULTS, AGED 53 TO 57 YEARS, RECRUITED TO THE VITAMIN AND LIFESTYLE (VITAL) COHORT STUDY BETWEEN 2000 AND 2002. MEASUREMENTS: PHYSICAL ACTIVITY (INCLUDING YOGA) DURING THE PAST 10 YEARS, DIET, HEIGHT, AND WEIGHT AT RECRUITMENT AND AT AGES 30 AND 45. ALL MEASURES WERE BASED ON SELF-REPORTING, AND PAST WEIGHT WAS RETROSPECTIVELY ASCERTAINED. METHODS: MULTIPLE REGRESSION ANALYSES WERE USED TO EXAMINED COVARIATE-ADJUSTED ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN YOGA PRACTICE AND WEIGHT CHANGE FROM AGE 45 TO RECRUITMENT, AND POLYCHOTOMOUS LOGISTIC REGRESSION WAS USED TO EXAMINE ASSOCIATIONS OF YOGA PRACTICE WITH THE RELATIVE ODDS OF WEIGHT MAINTENANCE (WITHIN 5%) AND WEIGHT LOSS (> 5%) COMPARED TO WEIGHT GAIN. RESULTS: YOGA PRACTICE FOR FOUR OR MORE YEARS WAS ASSOCIATED WITH A 3.1-LB LOWER WEIGHT GAIN AMONG NORMAL WEIGHT (BMI < 25) PARTICIPANTS [9.5 LBS VERSUS 12.6 IBS] AND AN 18.5-LB LOWER WEIGHT GAIN AMONG OVERWEIGHT PARTICIPANTS [-5.0 LBS VERSUS 13.5 IBS] (BOTH P FOR TREND <.001). AMONG OVERWEIGHT INDIVIDUALS, 4+ YEARS OF YOGA PRACTICE WAS ASSOCIATED WITH A RELATIVE ODDS OF 1.85 (95% CONFIDENCE INTERVAL [CI] 0.63-5.42) FOR WEIGHT MAINTENANCE (WITHIN 5%) AND 3.88 (95% CL 1.30-9.88) FOR WEIGHT LOSS (> 5%) COMPARED TO WEIGHT GAIN (P FOR TREND .026 AND .003, RESPECTIVELY). CONCLUSIONS: REGULAR YOGA PRACTICE WAS ASSOCIATED WITH ATTENUATED WEIGHT GAIN, MOST STRONGLY AMONG INDIVIDUALS WHO WERE OVERWEIGHT. ALTHOUGH CAUSAL INFERENCE FROM THIS OBSERVATIONAL STUDY IS NOT POSSIBLE, RESULTS ARE CONSISTENT WITH THE HYPOTHESIS THAT REGULAR YOGA PRACTICE CAN BENEFIT INDIVIDUALS WHO WISH TO MAINTAIN OR LOSE WEIGHT. 2005 19 2161 28 THE EFFECTS OF YOGA AMONG ADULTS WITH TYPE 2 DIABETES: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS. THE PURPOSE OF THIS META-ANALYSIS WAS TO EXAMINE THE EFFECTS OF YOGA FOR GLYCEMIC CONTROL AMONG ADULTS WITH TYPE 2 DIABETES (T2DM). COMPREHENSIVE ELECTRONIC DATABASES SEARCHES LOCATED 2559 UNIQUE STUDIES WITH RELEVANT KEY TERMS. STUDIES WERE INCLUDED IF THEY (1) EVALUATED A YOGA INTERVENTION TO PROMOTE T2DM MANAGEMENT, (2) USED A COMPARISON GROUP, (3) REPORTED AN OBJECTIVE MEASURE OF GLYCEMIC CONTROL AT POST-INTERVENTION, AND (4) HAD FOLLOW-UP LENGTH OR POST-TEST OF AT LEAST 8WEEKS FROM BASELINE. INDEPENDENT RATERS CODED PARTICIPANT, DESIGN AND METHODOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS AND INTERVENTION CONTENT. SUMMARY EFFECT SIZES AND 95% CONFIDENCE INTERVALS (CI) WERE CALCULATED. TWENTY-THREE STUDIES WITH 2473 PARTICIPANTS (MEAN AGE=53YEARS; 43% WOMEN) MET ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA. COMPARED WITH CONTROLS, YOGA PARTICIPANTS WERE SUCCESSFUL IN IMPROVING THEIR HBA1C (D+=0.36, 95% CI=0.16, 0.56; K=16), FBG (D+=0.58, 95% CI=0.40, 0.76; K=20), AND PPBG (D+=0.40, 95% CI=0.23, 0.56; K=14). YOGA WAS ALSO ASSOCIATED WITH SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN LIPID PROFILE, BLOOD PRESSURE, BODY MASS INDEX, WAIST/HIP RATIO AND CORTISOL LEVELS. OVERALL, STUDIES SATISFIED AN AVERAGE OF 41% OF THE METHODOLOGICAL QUALITY (MQ) CRITERIA; MQ SCORE WAS NOT ASSOCIATED WITH ANY OUTCOME (PS >0.05). YOGA IMPROVED GLYCEMIC OUTCOMES AND OTHER RISK FACTORS FOR COMPLICATIONS IN ADULTS WITH T2DM RELATIVE TO A CONTROL CONDITION. ADDITIONAL STUDIES WITH LONGER FOLLOW-UPS ARE NEEDED TO DETERMINE THE LONG-TERM EFFICACY OF YOGA FOR ADULTS WITH T2DM. 2017 20 1657 28 MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN AND INTEREST IN MEDITATION AND YOGA IN HOME HEALTH AIDES: EVIDENCE FROM THE HOME HEALTH OCCUPATIONS MUSCULOSKELETAL EXAMINATIONS (HHOME) STUDY. HOME HEALTHCARE AIDES (HHAS) ARE A GROWING U.S. WORKFORCE HIGHLY SUSCEPTIBLE TO WORKPLACE STRESSORS AND MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN. IN THE PRESENT STUDY WE: 1) EXAMINE THE ASSOCIATION OF MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN TO LIFE SATISFACTION AND EMOTIONAL EXHAUSTION; AND 2) CHARACTERIZE INTEREST IN MEDITATION AND YOGA IN A SAMPLE OF HHAS. A NONPROBABILISTIC SAMPLE OF HHAS EMPLOYED AT HOME HEALTHCARE AGENCIES IN FLORIDA, MASSACHUSETTS, AND OREGON (N = 285 TOTAL) COMPLETED A SELF-ADMINISTERED QUESTIONNAIRE WITH STANDARD SURVEY MEASURES ON MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN LOCATION, DURATION, AND SEVERITY; LIFE SATISFACTION; EMOTIONAL EXHAUSTION; AND INTEREST IN MEDITATION TECHNIQUES AND YOGA. AMONG HHAS RESPONDING, 48.4% REPORTED PAIN IN THE LAST 7 DAYS AND 46.6% REPORTED PAIN IN THE LAST 3 MONTHS. HOME HEALTHCARE AIDES WHO REPORTED CURRENT PAIN AND CHRONIC PAIN HAD A SIGNIFICANT (P < .05) DECREASE IN SATISFACTION WITH LIFE SCORE AND A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN EMOTIONAL EXHAUSTION SCORE. THE MAJORITY OF HHAS REPORTED AN INTEREST IN LEARNING ABOUT THE BENEFITS (65.6%) AND PRACTICE (66.4%) OF MEDITATION AND A WILLINGNESS TO PARTICIPATE IN A YOGA CLASS (59.2%) OR STRESS MANAGEMENT MEETING (59.1%). THE HHAS REPORTED BOTH ACUTE AND CHRONIC MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN THAT WAS CORRELATED WITH LOWER LIFE SATISFACTION AND GREATER EMOTIONAL EXHAUSTION. MORE EFFORTS ARE NEEDED TO REDUCE THE SOURCES OF INJURY AND EMOTIONAL EXHAUSTION. 2018