1 2419 132 YOGA AND MENTAL HEALTH AMONG BRAZILIAN PRACTITIONERS DURING COVID-19: AN INTERNET-BASED CROSS-SECTIONAL SURVEY. THIS STUDY AIMED TO DESCRIBE YOGA PRACTICE AND VERIFY ITS ASSOCIATION WITH DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, AND STRESS DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC AMONG BRAZILIAN PRACTITIONERS. A CROSS-SECTIONAL ANONYMOUS ONLINE SURVEY WAS CONDUCTED IN ALL REGIONS OF BRAZIL USING A SNOWBALL SAMPLING STRATEGY AMONG YOGA PRACTITIONERS. A TOTAL OF 860 PARTICIPANTS (87% FEMALE, AGED: 19-82 YEARS) COMPLETED THE SURVEY. SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC DATA, LIFESTYLE FACTORS, YOGA PRACTICE DURING THE PANDEMIC, AND THE DEPRESSION ANXIETY AND STRESS SCALE (DASS-21) SCORES WERE COLLECTED BETWEEN JULY 9 AND JULY 15, 2021. OVERALL, 9.5%, 9.3%, AND 5.6% OF PARTICIPANTS EXHIBITED SOME TRAITS (MILD TO SEVERE) OF DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, AND STRESS, RESPECTIVELY. HATHA YOGA (48%) WAS THE MOST COMMONLY PRACTICED YOGA STYLE. IN THE ADJUSTED ANALYSIS, A HIGHER YOGA EXPERIENCE (> 5 YEARS) WAS ASSOCIATED WITH BETTER ANXIETY (ODDS RATIO; BOOTSTRAP 95% CONFIDENCE INTERVAL: 2.42; 1.32, 4.49) AND STRESS STATUS (1.80; 1.06, 3.00) THAN BEGINNERS (< 1 YEAR). PRACTITIONERS WHO REPORTED HIGHER TIME AND DAYS OF YOGA PRACTICE DURING THE STUDY PERIOD WERE MORE LIKELY TO SHOW NORMAL LEVELS OF DEPRESSION (ODDS RATIO: 2.56-6.49; P < 0.05), ANXIETY (ODDS RATIO: 3.68-8.84; P < 0.05), AND STRESS (ODDS RATIO: 2.15-5.21; P < 0.05). MOREOVER, THE MAINTENANCE OF PRACTICE FREQUENCY DURING THE PANDEMIC WAS ASSOCIATED WITH HIGHER ODDS OF NORMAL LEVELS OF DEPRESSION (2.27; 1.39-3.79), ANXIETY (1.97; 1.25-3.10), AND STRESS (1.97; 1.32-2.96). IN CONCLUSION, OUR FINDINGS INDICATED THAT A HIGHER LEVEL OF YOGA PRACTICE WAS ASSOCIATED WITH BETTER MENTAL HEALTH LEVELS DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. 2022 2 2751 40 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 3 1719 43 PERCEIVED USEFULNESS OF YOGA TO MAINTAIN WELL-BEING AND IN RELATION TO COVID-19 CASES AMONG HUNGARIAN YOGA PRACTITIONERS. BACKGROUND: THE PRESENT COVID-19 EPIDEMIC HAS HAD A CONSIDERABLE IMPACT ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF INDIVIDUALS WORLDWIDE. RESEARCH PROJECTS SUGGESTS POTENTIAL BENEFITS OF YOGA PRACTICE FOR PREVENTION, OR AS MEDICAL SUPPLEMENTATION IN RELATION TO THE PRESENT PANDEMIC. THIS STUDY INVESTIGATED THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN YOGA AND HEALTH STATUS, AND HOW THE FREQUENCY OF YOGA PRACTICE AFFECTED THE MENTAL WELL-BEING (MWB) OF THE RESPONDENTS. METHODS: HUNGARIAN YOGA PRACTITIONERS (N=379) AGED 20 TO 75 YEARS (93.4% FEMALE) WERE ASKED ABOUT THEIR PERSONAL HEALTH, PERCEIVED USEFULNESS OF YOGA PRACTICE FOR COVID-19 CASES AND THEIR MWB. DATA WERE COLLECTED BETWEEN APRIL 17 AND MAY 17, 2021. THE MEASUREMENT TOOL USED WAS AN ONLINE QUESTIONNAIRE INCLUDING SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC DATA, CHARACTERISTICS OF YOGA PRACTICE, COVID-19 AND HEALTH RELATED QUESTIONS, AND WHO WELL-BEING INDEX (WBI-5). ASSOCIATIONS WERE EXAMINED THROUGH ANOVA AND CHI-SQUARE TESTS. RESULTS: THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE AMONG THE YOGA PRACTICE GROUPS BY WEEKLY FREQUENCY (ONCE A WEEK, 2-3 TIMES A WEEK, 4-5 TIMES A WEEK, DAILY) ON THE TOTAL MEAN SCORE OF WELL-BEING (WBI-5), F (3, 373) = 12.97, P < 0.001, ETAP 2 = 0.094. THE DAILY PRACTICE OF YOGA SHOWED THE HIGHEST MWB. CONCLUSIONS: ACCORDING TO OUR FINDINGS, IT CAN BE STATED THAT REGULAR YOGA PRACTICE IS ASSOCIATED WITH HIGHER LEVEL OF MWB WHICH CAN BE SUCCESSFUL IN DEALING WITH COVID-19 ISSUES SUCH AS STRESS AND DEPRESSION. 2022 4 1315 44 HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE OUTCOMES WITH REGULAR YOGA AND HEARTFULNESS MEDITATION PRACTICE: RESULTS FROM A MULTINATIONAL, CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY. BACKGROUND: ALTHOUGH THE BENEFITS OF YOGA ARE WELL ESTABLISHED ACROSS THE WORLD, THERE ARE LIMITED STUDIES EXPLORING THE LONG-TERM INTERRELATION BETWEEN YOGA, MEDITATION, AND HEALTH. SPECIFICALLY, THERE IS LIMITED RESEARCH EXPLORING THE DIFFERENCES IN HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE (HRQOL) AMONG REGULAR MEDITATORS AND NONMEDITATORS. OBJECTIVE: THIS STUDY EXPLORED THE DIFFERENCES IN 7 DOMAINS OF HRQOL (INCLUDING QUALITY OF LIFE, ABILITY TO ADOPT A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE, ABILITY TO RELAX, FREQUENCY OF NERVOUSNESS AND STRESS, COPING WITH DAY-TO-DAY STRESS, WORKPLACE PRODUCTIVITY, AND STAYING HEALTHY DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC) AMONG PRACTITIONERS OF YOGA AND MEDITATION. METHODS: A CROSS-SECTIONAL, ONLINE SURVEY WAS DISTRIBUTED TO ALL MEMBERS WHO PARTICIPATED IN A 100-DAY YOGA AND MEDITATION PROGRAM, CULMINATING IN THE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF YOGA EVENT, ORGANIZED BY THE HEARTFULNESS INSTITUTE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CENTRAL COUNCIL FOR RESEARCH IN YOGA AND NATUROPATHY, MINISTRY OF AYUSH, SVYASA YOGA UNIVERSITY, AND PATANJALI YOGA INSTITUTE, INDIA. THE PROGRAM CONSISTED OF DAILY VIRTUAL YOGA, MEDITATION, AND SPEAKER SESSIONS. THE DATA WERE ANALYZED BY NONPARAMETRIC MANN-WHITNEY U TEST AND KRUSKAL-WALLIS TESTS FOR CONTINUOUS VARIABLES AND CHI-SQUARE TEST FOR CATEGORICAL VARIABLES. RESULTS: A TOTAL OF 3164 PARTICIPANTS FROM 39 COUNTRIES COMPLETED THE SURVEY. MEAN AGE WAS 33.8 (SD 13.6) YEARS. THE MAJORITY OF THE PARTICIPANTS WERE FEMALE (N=1643, 52%) AND STUDENTS (N=1312, 41.5%). REGULAR YOGA AND MEDITATION PRACTICE WAS ASSOCIATED WITH A POSITIVE IMPACT ON ALL 7 DOMAINS OF HRQOL (MANN-WHITNEY P<.05 AND CHI(2)P<.05). NOTABLY, EXPERIENCED HEARTFULNESS (>/=2 YEARS) MEDITATORS REPORTED BETTER OUTCOMES IN ALL THE DOMAINS OF HRQOL AS COMPARED TO THOSE NOT CURRENTLY PRACTICING THIS FORM OF MEDITATION AND PARTICIPANTS WITH 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 10 1807 36 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 11 1507 35 IS A YOGA-BASED PROGRAM WITH POTENTIAL TO DECREASE FALLS PERCEIVED TO BE ACCEPTABLE TO COMMUNITY-DWELLING PEOPLE OLDER THAN 60? OBJECTIVES AND IMPORTANCE OF STUDY: YOGA IMPROVES BALANCE AND MOBILITY, AND THEREFORE HAS POTENTIAL AS A FALL PREVENTION STRATEGY, YET ITS VALIDITY FOR PREVENTING FALLS HAS NOT BEEN ESTABLISHED. THE OTAGO EXERCISE PROGRAMME (OEP) AND TAI CHI ARE PROVEN TO PREVENT FALLS. THIS STUDY AIMED TO EVALUATE THE PERCEPTIONS AND PREFERENCES OF OLDER PEOPLE TOWARDS A YOGA-BASED PROGRAM WITH POTENTIAL TO DECREASE FALLS, TO COMPARE THESE PERCEPTIONS TO THE VIEWS EXPRESSED ABOUT THE OEP AND TAI CHI, AND TO IDENTIFY PARTICIPANT CHARACTERISTICS ASSOCIATED WITH A PREFERENCE FOR THE YOGA PROGRAM. STUDY TYPE: SURVEY. METHODS: PARTICIPANTS WERE 235 COMMUNITY-DWELLERS AGED 60 YEARS OR OLDER WHO WERE NOT PARTICIPATING OR HAD NOT PREVIOUSLY PARTICIPATED (WITHIN THE PAST 10 YEARS) IN YOGA-BASED EXERCISE. PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED A SELF-REPORT SURVEY MEASURING DEMOGRAPHICS, PHYSICAL ACTIVITY LEVEL AND ATTITUDE. THEY THEN VIEWED EXPLANATIONS OF THE YOGA-BASED PROGRAM, THE OEP AND TAI CHI. PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED THE ATTITUDES TO FALLS-RELATED INTERVENTIONS SCALE (AFRIS) TO MEASURE PROGRAM ACCEPTABILITY AND IDENTIFIED THEIR PREFERRED PROGRAM. ACCEPTABILITY SCORES AND PREFERENCE WERE COMPARED BETWEEN THE PROGRAMS, AND FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH YOGA PREFERENCE WERE IDENTIFIED WITH ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE. RESULTS: THE MEAN AGE OF PARTICIPANTS (69% FEMALE) WAS 69.4 YEARS (STANDARD DEVIATION 7.4). ALL PROGRAMS WERE RATED AS EQUALLY ACCEPTABLE (P = 0.17), WITH AFRIS SCORES RANGING FROM 28.1 TO 29.4. EIGHTY-TWO PEOPLE (35%) PREFERRED YOGA, 32% CHOSE THE OEP AND 33% CHOSE TAI CHI. OVERALL, PEOPLE WHO PREFERRED YOGA WERE SIGNIFICANTLY YOUNGER, HEALTHIER, LESS FEARFUL OF FALLING, AND PERCEIVED EXERCISE MORE POSITIVELY THAN PEOPLE WHO PREFERRED THE OEP (P VALUES RANGED FROM 0.03 TO <0.001). THE CHARACTERISTICS OF PEOPLE WHO PREFERRED YOGA AND THOSE WHO PREFERRED TAI CHI DID NOT VARY SIGNIFICANTLY. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA WAS PERCEIVED TO BE APPROPRIATE AND WAS AS POPULAR AS TWO VALIDATED FALL PREVENTION PROGRAMS. YOGA WARRANTS FURTHER INVESTIGATION AS A FALL PREVENTION STRATEGY, PARTICULARLY FOR 'YOUNGER' AND HEALTHIER PEOPLE AGED 60 YEARS OR OLDER. 2018 12 1785 42 PREDICTORS OF YOGA USE AMONG INTERNAL MEDICINE PATIENTS. BACKGROUND: YOGA SEEMS TO BE AN EFFECTIVE MEANS TO COPE WITH A VARIETY OF INTERNAL MEDICINE CONDITIONS. WHILE CHARACTERISTICS OF YOGA USERS HAVE BEEN INVESTIGATED IN THE GENERAL POPULATION, LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT PREDICTORS OF YOGA USE AND BARRIERS TO YOGA USE IN INTERNAL MEDICINE PATIENTS. THE AIM OF THIS CROSS-SECTIONAL ANALYSIS WAS TO IDENTIFY SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC, CLINICAL, AND PSYCHOLOGICAL PREDICTORS OF YOGA USE AMONG INTERNAL MEDICINE PATIENTS. METHODS: A CROSS-SECTIONAL ANALYSIS WAS CONDUCTED AMONG ALL PATIENTS BEING REFERRED TO A DEPARTMENT OF INTERNAL AND INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE DURING A 3-YEAR PERIOD. IT WAS ASSESSED WHETHER PATIENTS HAD EVER USED YOGA FOR THEIR PRIMARY MEDICAL COMPLAINT, THE PERCEIVED BENEFIT, AND THE PERCEIVED HARM OF YOGA PRACTICE. POTENTIAL PREDICTORS OF YOGA USE INCLUDING SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS, HEALTH BEHAVIOR, INTERNAL MEDICINE DIAGNOSIS, GENERAL HEALTH STATUS, MENTAL HEALTH, SATISFACTION WITH HEALTH, AND HEALTH LOCUS OF CONTROL WERE ASSESSED; AND ASSOCIATIONS WITH YOGA USE WERE TESTED USING MULTIPLE LOGISTIC REGRESSION ANALYSIS. ODDS RATIOS (OR) WITH 95% CONFIDENCE INTERVALS (CI) WERE CALCULATED FOR SIGNIFICANT PREDICTORS. RESULTS: OF 2486 PARTICIPANTS, 303 (12.19%) REPORTED HAVING USED YOGA FOR THEIR PRIMARY MEDICAL COMPLAINT. OF THOSE, 184 (60.73%) REPORTED BENEFITS AND 12 (3.96%) REPORTED HARMS DUE TO YOGA PRACTICE. COMPARED TO YOGA NON-USERS, YOGA USERS WERE MORE LIKELY TO BE 50-64 YEARS OLD (OR = 1.45; 95%CI = 1.05-2.01; P = 0.025); FEMALE (OR = 2.45; 95%CI = 1.45-4.02; P < 0.001); AND COLLEGE GRADUATES (OR = 1.61; 95%CI = 1.14-2.27; P = 0.007); AND LESS LIKELY TO CURRENTLY SMOKE (OR = 0.61; 95%CI = 0.39-0.96; P = 0.031). MANIFEST ANXIETY (OR = 1.47; 95%CI = 1.06-2.04; P = 0.020); AND HIGH INTERNAL HEALTH LOCUS OF CONTROL (OR = 1.92; 95%CI = 1.38-2.67; P < 0.001) WERE POSITIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH YOGA USE, WHILE HIGH EXTERNAL-FATALISTIC HEALTH LOCUS OF CONTROL (OR = 0.66; 95%CI = 0.47-0.92; P = 0.014) WAS NEGATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH YOGA USE. CONCLUSION: YOGA WAS USED FOR THEIR PRIMARY MEDICAL COMPLAINT BY 12.19% OF AN INTERNAL INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE PATIENT POPULATION AND WAS COMMONLY PERCEIVED AS BENEFICIAL. YOGA USE WAS NOT ASSOCIATED WITH THE PATIENTS' SPECIFIC DIAGNOSIS BUT WITH SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS, MENTAL HEALTH, AND HEALTH LOCUS OF CONTROL. TO IMPROVE ADHERENCE TO YOGA PRACTICE, IT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED THAT MALE, YOUNGER, AND ANXIOUS PATIENTS AND THOSE WITH LOW INTERNAL HEALTH LOCUS OF CONTROL MIGHT BE LESS INTRINSICALLY MOTIVATED TO START YOGA. 2013 13 1792 33 PRENATAL YOGA AND MENTAL HEALTH DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC: A RANDOMIZED-CONTROL TRIAL. STUDIES HAVE DEMONSTRATED THAT NEW AND EXPECTANT MOTHERS EXPERIENCE INCREASED LEVELS OF STRESS AND ANXIETY DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. THOUGH PRENATAL YOGA IS AN EFFECTIVE MODE OF IMPROVING MENTAL HEALTH DURING PREGNANCY, NO RESEARCH HAS EVALUATED ITS EFFECT ON MENTAL HEALTH DURING TIMES OF EXTREME STRESS, SUCH AS A GLOBAL PANDEMIC. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO DETERMINE THE INFLUENCE OF A SINGLE SESSION AND A 10-WEEK PRENATAL YOGA INTERVENTION ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF PREGNANT WOMEN DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. WOMEN (N = 19; 28.52 +/- 3.74 YEARS; 20.94 +/- 4.69 WEEKS GESTATION; BMI 29.33 +/- 9.08) WERE RANDOMIZED INTO A YOGA OR A NON-YOGA CONTROL GROUP. THERE WERE NO DIFFERENCES IN DEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS OR DEPRESSION/ANXIETY SCORES BETWEEN GROUPS AT BASELINE. BASELINE LEVELS OF ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION WERE HIGH, WITH AN AVERAGE DEPRESSION SCORE OF 8.10 +/- 4.85 (SCORES > 8 REPRESENT POSSIBLE DEPRESSION) AND AN AVERAGE ANXIETY SCORE OF 39.26 +/- 12.99 (SCORES >/= 39 REPRESENT A CLINICALLY SIGNIFICANT ANXIETY). AFTER JUST ONE SESSION OF YOGA, WOMEN REPORTED FEELING LESS DEPRESSED (P = 0.028), TENSE (P < 0.001), AND FATIGUED (P = 0.004). AFTER 10 WEEKS, THE YOGA GROUP HAD LOWER ANXIETY (P = 0.002), DEPRESSION (P = 0.032), AND TOTAL MOOD DISTURBANCE (P = 0.002) SCORES WHEN COMPARED TO THE CONTROL GROUP. YOGA APPEARS TO BENEFIT THE MENTAL HEALTH OF EXPECTANT MOTHERS, EVEN IN TIMES OF EXTREME STRESS. THE FINDINGS OF THIS STUDY PROVIDE CLINICIANS WITH VALUABLE INFORMATION REGARDING ALTERNATIVE EXERCISE OPTIONS FOR MENTAL HEALTH DURING PREGNANCY DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. 2021 14 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 15 2256 28 THE PHYSICAL POSTURES OF YOGA PRACTICES MAY PROTECT AGAINST DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS, EVEN AS LIFE STRESSORS INCREASE: A MODERATION ANALYSIS. YOGA CONTAINS SUB-COMPONENTS RELATED TO ITS PHYSICAL POSTURES (ASANA), BREATHING METHODS (PRANAYAMA), AND MEDITATION (DHYANA). TO TEST THE HYPOTHESIS THAT SPECIFIC YOGA PRACTICES ARE ASSOCIATED WITH REDUCED PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS, 186 ADULTS COMPLETED QUESTIONNAIRES ASSESSING LIFE STRESSORS, SYMPTOM SEVERITY, AND EXPERIENCE WITH EACH OF THESE ASPECTS OF YOGA. EACH YOGA SUB-COMPONENT WAS FOUND TO BE NEGATIVELY CORRELATED WITH PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS INDICES. HOWEVER, DIFFERING PATTERNS OF RELATIONSHIP TO PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS SYMPTOMS WERE FOUND FOR EACH YOGA SUB-COMPONENT. EXPERIENCE WITH ASANA WAS NEGATIVELY CORRELATED WITH GLOBAL PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS (R = -.21, P < .01), AND SYMPTOMS OF ANXIETY (R = -.18, P = .01) AND DEPRESSION (R = -.17, P = .02). THESE RELATIONSHIPS REMAINED STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT AFTER ACCOUNTING FOR VARIANCE ATTRIBUTABLE TO SOCIAL READJUSTMENT RATING SCALE SCORES (GSI: R = -.19, P = .01; BSI ANXIETY: R = -.16, P = .04; BSI DEPRESSION: R = -.14, P = .05). BY CONTRAST, THE CORRELATIONS BETWEEN OTHER YOGA SUB-COMPONENTS AND SYMPTOM SUBSCALES BECAME NON-SIGNIFICANT AFTER ACCOUNTING FOR EXPOSURE TO LIFE STRESSORS. MOREOVER, STRESSFUL LIFE EVENTS MODERATED THE PREDICTIVE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN AMOUNT OF ASANA EXPERIENCE AND DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS. ASANA WAS NOT RELATED TO DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS AT LOW LEVELS OF LIFE STRESSORS, BUT BECAME ASSOCIATED AT MEAN (T[182] = -2.73, P < .01) AND HIGH LEVELS (T[182] = -3.56, P < .001). FINDINGS SUGGEST ASANA MAY POSSESS DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOM REDUCTION BENEFITS, PARTICULARLY AS LIFE STRESSORS INCREASE. ADDITIONAL RESEARCH IS NEEDED TO DIFFERENTIATE WHETHER ASANA HAS AN EFFECT ON PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS, AND TO BETTER UNDERSTAND POTENTIAL PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGICAL MECHANISMS OF ACTION. 2018 16 469 30 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 17 1364 23 IMPACT OF 10-MIN DAILY YOGA EXERCISES ON PHYSICAL AND MENTAL DISCOMFORT OF HOME-OFFICE WORKERS DURING COVID-19. OBJECTIVE: EVALUATE THE EFFECTS OF 10 MIN/DAY OF YOGA FOR 1 MONTH ON MUSCULOSKELETAL DISCOMFORT AND MOOD DISTURBANCE OF HOME-OFFICE WORKERS. BACKGROUND: THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC FORCED MANY PEOPLE TO SWITCH TO TELEWORKING. THE ABRUPT CHANGE FROM AN OFFICE SETTING TO AN IMPROVISED HOME-OFFICE MAY NEGATIVELY AFFECT THE MUSCULOSKELETAL AND EMOTIONAL HEALTH OF WORKERS. BY PROVIDING MENTAL AND PHYSICAL EXERCISES, YOGA MAY BE EFFECTIVE IN REDUCING ADVERSE EFFECTS. METHOD: FIFTY-FOUR PARTICIPANTS (42 WOMEN, 12 MEN) FOLLOWED A 1-MONTH YOGA PROGRAM, WHILE 40 PARTICIPANTS (26 WOMEN, 14 MEN) CONTINUED WITH THEIR COMMON WORK ROUTINE. THE CORNELL MUSCULOSKELETAL DISCOMFORT QUESTIONNAIRE WAS USED TO EVALUATE SEVERITY, INTERFERENCE WITH WORK AND FREQUENCY OF PAIN, AND TO OBTAIN A TOTAL DISCOMFORT SCORE FOR 25 BODY AREAS. MOOD DISTURBANCE WAS EVALUATED WITH THE PROFILE OF MOOD STATES QUESTIONNAIRE. BOTH GROUPS COMPLETED BOTH QUESTIONNAIRES, BEFORE AND AFTER THE EXPERIMENTATION PERIOD. RESULTS: AFTER 1 MONTH, FOR THE YOGA GROUP ONLY, SIGNIFICANT REDUCTIONS WERE OBSERVED IN THE DISCOMFORT OF EYES, HEAD, NECK, UPPER AND LOWER BACK, RIGHT WRIST, AND HIPS/BUTTOCKS, AS WELL AS REDUCTIONS IN DISCOMFORT SEVERITY, FREQUENCY AND INTERFERENCE FOR THE NECK, UPPER AND LOWER BACK. TOTAL MOOD DISTURBANCE WAS ALSO SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED FOR THE YOGA GROUP ONLY. NO FAVORABLE CHANGES OCCURRED FOR THE CONTROL GROUP. CONCLUSION: THE YOGA INTERVENTION PROGRAM APPEARS TO REDUCE MUSCULOSKELETAL DISCOMFORT AND MOOD DISTURBANCE OF HOME-OFFICE WORKERS. APPLICATION: SEDENTARY WORKERS MAY BENEFIT FROM 10 MIN/DAY OF YOGA DURING THE WORKDAY TO ATTENUATE POTENTIAL PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL DISCOMFORT DURING THE CURRENT PANDEMIC AND BEYOND. 2021 18 2388 35 YOGA AN EFFECTIVE STRATEGY FOR SELF-MANAGEMENT OF STRESS-RELATED PROBLEMS AND WELLBEING DURING COVID19 LOCKDOWN: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY. THIS CROSS-SECTIONAL RESEARCH AIMS TO STUDY THE EFFECT OF YOGA PRACTICE ON THE ILLNESS PERCEPTION, AND WELLBEING OF HEALTHY ADULTS DURING 4-10 WEEKS OF LOCKDOWN DUE TO COVID19 OUTBREAK. A TOTAL OF 668 ADULTS (64.7% MALES, M = 28.12 YEARS, SD = 9.09 YEARS) PARTICIPATED IN THE ONLINE SURVEY. THE PARTICIPANTS WERE GROUPED AS; YOGA PRACTITIONERS, OTHER SPIRITUAL PRACTITIONERS, AND NON-PRACTITIONERS BASED ON THEIR RESPONSES TO DAILY PRACTICES THAT THEY FOLLOW. YOGA PRACTITIONERS WERE FURTHER EXAMINED BASED ON THE DURATION OF PRACTICE AS; LONG-TERM, MID-TERM AND BEGINNERS. MULTIVARIATE ANALYSIS INDICATES THAT YOGA PRACTITIONERS HAD SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, & STRESS (DASS), AND HIGHER GENERAL WELLBEING (SWGB) AS WELL AS HIGHER PEACE OF MIND (POMS) THAN THE OTHER TWO GROUPS. THE RESULTS FURTHER REVEALED THAT THE YOGA PRACTITIONERS SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERED IN THE PERCEPTION OF PERSONAL CONTROL, ILLNESS CONCERN AND EMOTIONAL IMPACT OF COVID19. HOWEVER, THERE WAS NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE FOUND FOR THE MEASURE OF RESILIENCE (BRS) IN THIS STUDY. YOGA PRACTITIONERS ALSO SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERED IN THE COGNITIVE REAPPRAISAL STRATEGY FOR REGULATING THEIR EMOTIONS THAN THE OTHER TWO GROUPS. INTERESTINGLY, IT WAS FOUND THAT BEGINNERS -THOSE WHO HAD STARTED PRACTICING YOGA ONLY DURING THE LOCKDOWN PERIOD REPORTED NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE FOR GENERAL WELLBEING AND PEACE OF MIND WHEN COMPARED TO THE MID- TERM PRACTITIONER. EVIDENCE SUPPORTS THAT YOGA WAS FOUND AS AN EFFECTIVE SELF- MANAGEMENT STRATEGY TO COPE WITH STRESS, ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION, AND MAINTAIN WELLBEING DURING COVID19 LOCKDOWN. 2021 19 2262 29 THE PREVALENCE AND CHARACTERISTICS OF YOGA OR MEDITATION USERS IN ICELAND: RESULTS OF A NATIONAL HEALTH SURVEY. BACKGROUND: USE OF YOGA OR MEDITATION HAS INCREASED DECISIVELY IN RECENT YEARS. FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH THE USE OF YOGA AND MEDITATION ARE NOT WELL UNDERSTOOD. THE AIM WAS TO FOCUS ON THE RELATIONSHIP OF YOGA AND MEDITATION TO SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC BACKGROUND, RELIGIOSITY, HEALTHCARE-RELATED ATTITUDES, MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH, AND PHYSICIAN VISITS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: THIS STUDY BUILDS ON DATA FROM A NATIONAL HEALTH SURVEY OF A RANDOM SAMPLE OF ICELANDIC ADULTS, AGED 18-75 (N = 1599; RESPONSE RATE OF 58%). RESULTS: THE OVERALL USE OF YOGA OR MEDITATION REACHED 19.3% IN 2015. THIS IS AN INCREASE OF 12.5% POINTS OVER A NINE-YEAR PERIOD. THE INCREASE WAS MUCH GREATER FOR WOMEN. YOGA OR MEDITATION USE WAS POSITIVELY RELATED TO THE FEMALE GENDER, YOUNGER AGE, HIGHER LEVELS OF EDUCATION, AND NOT BELONGING TO A RELIGIOUS DENOMINATION. IT WAS ALSO POSITIVELY RELATED TO HIGHER ANXIETY, PREVIOUS VISITS TO A PHYSICIAN, AND A POSITIVE ATTITUDE TOWARD CAM SERVICES, BUT IT WAS NEGATIVELY RELATED TO HAVING CHRONIC MEDICAL CONDITIONS. CONCLUSION: INCREASED USE OF YOGA OR MEDITATION MAY REFLECT PUBLIC INTEREST IN ICELANDER'S SELF-CARE AND HEALTH PROMOTION. FURTHER STUDIES ARE NEEDED TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE PREDICTORS AND EFFECTS OF YOGA AND MEDITATION. 2021 20 1786 43 PREDICTORS OF YOGA USE AMONG PATIENTS WITH BREAST CANCER. OBJECTIVE: EMERGING RESEARCH SUGGESTS THAT YOGA MAY BE BENEFICIAL FOR REDUCING SYMPTOMS AND IMPROVING QUALITY OF LIFE AMONG BREAST CANCER PATIENTS. HOWEVER, VERY LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT THE CHARACTERISTICS OF BREAST CANCER PATIENTS WHO USE YOGA; THUS, THIS STUDY SEEKS TO IDENTIFY THE SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC AND CLINICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF YOGA USERS AMONG THIS POPULATION. DESIGN: A CROSS-SECTIONAL SURVEY STUDY WAS CONDUCTED. SETTING: THE STUDY WAS CONDUCTED AT AN OUTPATIENT BREAST ONCOLOGY CLINIC AT A LARGE UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL. PARTICIPANTS: THREE HUNDRED POSTMENOPAUSAL BREAST CANCER PATIENTS CURRENTLY RECEIVING AROMATASE INHIBITORS WERE INCLUDED IN THIS STUDY. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENT: SELF-REPORTED USE OF YOGA FOLLOWING THE CANCER DIAGNOSIS WAS COLLECTED ALONG WITH SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC AND CLINICAL DATA. MULTIVARIATE LOGISTIC REGRESSION WAS USED TO IDENTIFY INDEPENDENT PREDICTORS OF YOGA USE AMONG BREAST CANCER PATIENTS. RESULTS: OF 300 PARTICIPANTS, 53 (17.7%) REPORTED HAVING USED YOGA FOLLOWING CANCER DIAGNOSIS. WHITE PATIENTS WERE SIGNIFICANTLY MORE LIKELY TO USE YOGA THAN NONWHITE PATIENTS (P = .02). HIGHER EDUCATION LEVEL, LOWER BMI (BODY MASS INDEX), PART-TIME EMPLOYMENT STATUS, PREVIOUS CHEMOTHERAPY, AND RADIATION THERAPY WERE ALL ASSOCIATED WITH GREATER YOGA USE (ALL P < .05). CONTROLLING FOR OTHER FACTORS, GREATER YOGA USE WAS INDEPENDENTLY ASSOCIATED WITH HIGHER EDUCATION LEVEL (ADJUSTED ODDS RATIO [AOR] 2.72, 95% CONFIDENCE INTERVAL [CI], 1.15-6.46), AND LOWER BMI (AOR 0.25, 95% CI, 0.09-0.66). CONCLUSION: YOGA USE FOLLOWING BREAST CANCER DIAGNOSIS WAS SUBSTANTIALLY HIGHER FOR WHITE PATIENTS AND THOSE WITH LOWER BMI AND HIGHER EDUCATION LEVELS. CONSIDERING ITS POTENTIAL BENEFITS FOR SYMPTOM MANAGEMENT IN CANCER, MORE RESEARCH IS NEEDED TO UNDERSTAND THE ATTITUDES AND BARRIERS TO YOGA USE AMONG INDIVIDUALS WITH NONWHITE RACE, LOWER EDUCATION, AND HIGHER BMI LEVEL. SUCH INVESTIGATION WILL HELP DESIGN YOGA PROGRAMS THAT ARE ALIGNED TO THE NEEDS OF THESE POPULATIONS. 2010