1 2876 143 YOGA-RELATED INJURIES IN THE UNITED STATES FROM 2001 TO 2014. BACKGROUND: YOGA HAS BECOME MORE POPULAR AMONG PEOPLE IN THE UNITED STATES AND HAS BEEN TOUTED BY BOTH YOGA PARTICIPANTS AS WELL AS SOME PHYSICIANS AND RESEARCHERS FOR ITS HEALTH BENEFITS. WHILE THE HEALTH BENEFITS HAVE BEEN STUDIED, THE FREQUENCY OF INJURY AMONG YOGA PARTICIPANTS HAS NOT BEEN WELL DOCUMENTED. PURPOSE: INJURY INCIDENCE, RATES, AND TYPES ASSOCIATED WITH YOGA IN THE UNITED STATES HAVE NOT BEEN QUANTIFIED. THIS STUDY ESTIMATES US YOGA-ASSOCIATED INJURY INCIDENCE AND CHARACTERIZES INJURY TYPE OVER A 13-YEAR PERIOD. STUDY DESIGN: DESCRIPTIVE EPIDEMIOLOGY STUDY. METHODS: DATA FROM THE NATIONAL ELECTRONIC INJURY SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM (NEISS) FROM 2001 TO 2014 WERE USED TO ESTIMATE THE INCIDENCE AND TYPE OF YOGA-ASSOCIATED INJURIES. THE NUMBER AND AGE DISTRIBUTION OF YOGA PARTICIPANTS WAS ESTIMATED USING DATA FROM NATIONAL HEALTH STATISTICS REPORTS. THESE NATIONAL POPULATION ESTIMATES WERE APPLIED TO THE NEISS DATA TO DETERMINE INJURY RATES OVERALL AND STRATIFIED ACCORDING TO AGE CATEGORIES. RESULTS: THERE WERE 29,590 YOGA-RELATED INJURIES SEEN IN HOSPITAL EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS FROM 2001 TO 2014. THE TRUNK (46.6%) WAS THE MOST FREQUENT REGION INJURED, AND SPRAIN/STRAIN (45.0%) ACCOUNTED FOR THE MAJORITY OF DIAGNOSES. THE INJURY RATE INCREASED OVERALL FROM 2001 TO 2014, AND IT WAS GREATEST FOR THOSE AGED 65 YEARS AND OLDER (57.9/100,000) COMPARED WITH THOSE AGED 18 TO 44 YEARS (11.9/100,000) AND 45 TO 64 YEARS (17.7/100,000) IN 2014. CONCLUSION: PARTICIPANTS AGED 65 YEARS AND OLDER HAVE A GREATER RATE OF INJURY FROM PRACTICING YOGA WHEN COMPARED WITH OTHER AGE GROUPS. MOST INJURIES SUSTAINED WERE TO THE TRUNK AND INVOLVED A SPRAIN/STRAIN. WHILE THERE ARE MANY HEALTH BENEFITS TO PRACTICING YOGA, PARTICIPANTS AND THOSE WISHING TO BECOME PARTICIPANTS SHOULD CONFER WITH A PHYSICIAN PRIOR TO ENGAGING IN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND PRACTICE ONLY UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF CERTIFIED INSTRUCTORS. 2016 2 639 28 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 3 386 29 BENEFITS AND ADVERSE EFFECTS ASSOCIATED WITH YOGA PRACTICE: A CROSS-SECTIONAL SURVEY FROM INDIA. OBJECTIVE: BENEFITS AND ADVERSE EFFECTS OF YOGA WERE REPORTED IN SURVEYS FROM DIFFERENT COUNTRIES. THE PRESENT STUDY AIMED TO (I) DETERMINE THE BENEFITS AND ADVERSE EFFECTS OF YOGA IN YOGA EXPERIENCED PERSONS IN INDIA AND (II) CORRELATE THESE EFFECTS OF YOGA WITH FACTORS RELATED TO THE INDIVIDUAL AND THEIR YOGA PRACTICE. DESIGN AND SETTING: THIS CONVENIENCE SAMPLING IN-PERSON SURVEY REPORTS BENEFITS AND ADVERSE EFFECTS OF YOGA IN 3135 YOGA EXPERIENCED PERSONS. RESULTS: THE BENEFITS OF YOGA WERE REPORTED BY 94.5 PERCENT OF THE RESPONDENTS. THE THREE MOST COMMON BENEFITS WERE IMPROVEMENT IN: (I) PHYSICAL FITNESS, (II) MENTAL STATE AND (III) COGNITIVE FUNCTIONS. AN ADVERSE EFFECT OF YOGA WAS REPORTED BY 1.9 PERCENT OF THE RESPONDENTS. THE THREE MOST COMMON ADVERSE EFFECTS REPORTED WERE: (I) SORENESS AND PAIN, (II) MUSCLE INJURIES AND (III) FATIGUE. THE FOLLOWING FACTORS SHOWED A SIGNIFICANT ASSOCIATION (IN ALL CASES P < 0.05 CHI SQUARE TEST; CRAMER'S V > 0.10) WITH REPORTED BENEFITS OF YOGA: (I) EXPERIENCE OF YOGA IN MONTHS, (II) TIME SPENT PRACTICING YOGA IN A WEEK, (III) NUMBER OF YOGA TECHNIQUES PRACTICED, AND (IV) WHETHER AWARENESS WAS MAINTAINED DURING THE YOGA PRACTICE OR NOT. CONCLUSION: BENEFITS OF YOGA PRACTICE TO PHYSICAL HEALTH WERE THE MOST COMMON, WITH SORENESS AND PAIN THE MOST COMMON ADVERSE EFFECT OF YOGA. YOGA PRACTICE RELATED FACTORS INFLUENCE THE BENEFITS OF YOGA. 2021 4 469 40 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 5 2661 39 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 6 472 36 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 7 2262 38 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 8 2236 24 THE IMPACT OF YOGA UPON YOUNG ADULT CANCER SURVIVORS. THIS STUDY EXPLORED THE USE OF YOGA BY USING A CROSS-SECTIONAL ANALYSIS OF 286 YOUNG ADULT CANCER SURVIVORS. THE AIM WAS TO EXPLORE YOGA PRACTICE, REASONS FOR USING THIS THERAPY; PREDICTORS OF YOGA USE AND ANY POTENTIAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YOGA USE AND WELL-BEING. NINETY ONE PARTICIPANTS (32.82%) REPORTED PRACTICING YOGA FROM THEIR INITIAL DIAGNOSIS. PRACTITIONERS REPORTED A RELATIVELY HIGH INTENSITY (MEAN: 7.46 H/MONTH) AND LENGTH (25.88 MONTHS) OF PRACTICE. THE MOST COMMON REASONS GIVEN FOR UNDERTAKING YOGA WERE TO MAINTAIN FLEXIBILITY AND PROMOTE RELAXATION. SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC PREDICTORS OF YOGA USE INCLUDED GENDER, HIGHER EDUCATION WITH INCREASED YOGA USE GENERALLY RELATED TO ENHANCED FEELINGS OF WELL-BEING. RESULTS SUGGEST THAT YOGA USE IS MORE COMMONLY USED BY CANCER SURVIVORS WITH GREATER RESOURCES. UNDERSTANDING MORE ABOUT THE USE OF YOGA BY CANCER SURVIVORS MAY FACILITATE THE DEVELOPMENT AND PROMOTION OF YOGA-BASED INTERVENTIONS. 2013 9 1512 34 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 10 1466 42 INJURY IN YOGA ASANA PRACTICE: ASSESSMENT OF THE RISKS. BACKGROUND: THE RISK OF INJURY FROM MODERN YOGA ASANA PRACTICE IS POORLY CHARACTERIZED IN THE SCIENTIFIC LITERATURE, BUT ANECDOTAL REPORTS IN THE LAY LITERATURE AND PRESS HAVE POSED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF FREQUENT, SEVERE INJURIES. DESIGN: WE PERFORMED A CROSS-SECTIONAL SURVEY OF YOGA ASANA PARTICIPANTS ASSESSING THEIR EXPERIENCE WITH YOGA-RELATED INJURY, USING A VOLUNTARY CONVENIENCE SAMPLE. RESULTS: A TOTAL OF 2620 PARTICIPANTS RESPONDED TO OUR SURVEY. SEVENTY-NINE PERCENT WERE BETWEEN AGES 31 AND 60 AND 84% WERE FEMALE. THE MAJORITY OF RESPONDENTS LIVED IN NORTH AMERICA OR EUROPE. FORTY-FIVE PERCENT OF PARTICIPANTS REPORTED EXPERIENCING NO INJURIES DURING THE TIME THEY HAD BEEN PRACTICING YOGA. OF THOSE WHO DID EXPERIENCE AN INJURY FROM ASANA PRACTICE, 28% WERE MILD (E.G., SPRAINS OR NONSPECIFIC PAINS NOT REQUIRING A MEDICAL PROCEDURE, WITH SYMPTOMS LASTING LESS THAN 6 MONTHS) AND 63% WERE MODERATE (E.G., SPRAINS OR NONSPECIFIC PAINS NOT REQUIRING A MEDICAL PROCEDURE, WITH SYMPTOMS LASTING FROM 6 MONTHS TO 1 YEAR). ONLY 9% OF THOSE REPORTING INJURIES (4% OF THE TOTAL SAMPLE) HAD A SEVERE INJURY. THE STRONGEST PREDICTORS FOR INCREASED PROBABILITY OF REPORTING AN INJURY OVER A LIFETIME OF YOGA PRACTICE WERE GREATER NUMBER OF YEARS OF PRACTICE (P<.0001) AND TEACHING YOGA (P=.0177). OTHER ASPECTS OF PARTICIPANT DEMOGRAPHICS OR YOGA PRACTICE HABITS WERE NOT RELATED TO LIKELIHOOD OF REPORTING A YOGA-RELATED INJURY. CONCLUSIONS: WE FOUND THE NUMBER OF INJURIES REPORTED BY YOGA PARTICIPANTS PER YEARS OF PRACTICE EXPOSURE TO BE LOW AND THE OCCURRENCE OF SERIOUS INJURIES IN YOGA TO BE INFREQUENT COMPARED TO OTHER PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES, SUGGESTING THAT YOGA IS NOT A HIGH-RISK PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. MORE WORK IS NEEDED TO CLARIFY THE CAUSAL RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THE YOGA PARTICIPANT CHARACTERISTICS, THE ASANA PRACTICE STYLE, AND THE RISK OF SIGNIFICANT INJURY. 2019 11 1774 32 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 12 1445 44 INCREASING TREND OF YOGA PRACTICE AMONG U.S. ADULTS FROM 2002 TO 2017. INTRODUCTION: BENEFITS, RISKS, AND THE INCREASING POPULARITY OF YOGA USE WARRANT ASSESSING YOGA PRACTICE PREVALENCE AND USERS' PROFILES. THIS STUDY DESCRIBES TRENDS IN YOGA PRACTICE EXCLUSIVELY AMONG AMERICAN ADULTS FROM 2002 TO 2017, COMPARES THE PROFILE OF YOGA USERS, AND IDENTIFIES FACTORS RELATED TO YOGA USE OVER TIME. MATERIALS AND METHODS: THIS STUDY IS A SECONDARY ANALYSIS DONE IN 2019 AND 2020 USING THE NATIONAL HEALTH INTERVIEW SURVEY (NHIS) 2002, 2007, 2012, AND 2017 DATA. POPULATION WEIGHTS WERE USED TO OBTAIN STATISTICALLY ACCURATE ESTIMATES OF YOGA USE PREVALENCE FOR THE U.S. POPULATION. DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS WERE USED TO PROFILE THE SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC AND HEALTH-RELATED CHARACTERISTICS OF YOGA USERS. MULTIVARIABLE LOGISTIC REGRESSION WAS USED TO IDENTIFY FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH YOGA USE IN EACH COHORT DEFINED BY THE NHIS YEAR. RESULTS: YOGA PRACTICE PREVALENCE NEARLY TRIPLED FROM 5.1% IN 2002 TO 13.7% IN 2017 (WEIGHTED ESTIMATE 10,386,456 AND 32,761,194 AMERICAN ADULTS, RESPECTIVELY). TYPICAL YOGA USERS WERE YOUNG NON-HISPANIC SINGLE WHITE FEMALE ADULTS WITH BACHELOR OR HIGHER EDUCATION AND HEALTH INSURANCE, AND RESIDED IN THE WEST REGION OF THE UNITED STATES. YOGA USE PATTERN CHANGE OVER TIME WAS SIGNIFICANTLY RELATED TO ONLY YOUNGER AGE (P < 0.001) BUT NOT TO OTHER SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC OR HEALTH-RELATED FACTORS. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA HAS GAINED INCREASING POPULARITY IN THE PAST TWO DECADES AMONG AMERICAN ADULTS, WITH YOUNGER ADULTS BEING THE DRIVING FORCE. YOGA APPEARS TO BE ADOPTED FOR GENERAL WELL-BEING OR PREVENTION MORE THAN FOR SPECIFIC DISEASE TREATMENT. FUTURE RESEARCH SHOULD EVALUATE HOW YOGA CAN BE EFFECTIVELY AND SAFELY INTEGRATED INTO PREVENTIVE MEDICINE STRATEGIES. 2021 13 393 37 BENEFITS, BARRIERS AND DETERMINANTS OF PRACTICING YOGA: A CROSS SECTIONAL STUDY FROM KATHMANDU, NEPAL. BACKGROUND: IT HAS BEEN WIDELY BELIEVED THAT PRACTICING YOGA HELPS TO IMPROVE INDIVIDUALS' MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH. HOWEVER, THE PROPORTION OF PEOPLE PRACTICING YOGA IS NOT ENCOURAGING. OBJECTIVE: THIS STUDY INVESTIGATES THE DETERMINANTS, MOTIVATIONS, BENEFITS AND BARRIERS TO PRACTICING YOGA. MATERIAL AND METHODS: THIS STUDY IS BASED ON A CROSS SECTIONAL SURVEY OF 875 INDIVIDUALS IN A FACE-TO-FACE INTERVIEWS CONDUCTED FROM FEBRUARY TO APRIL 2019 IN KATHMANDU, NEPAL. THE INTERVIEWS WERE CONDUCTED USING A SEMI-STRUCTURED QUESTIONNAIRE, AND THE STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF THE COLLECTED DATA WAS DONE USING SPSSV20. RESULTS: WE FIND THAT FEMALES, OLDER PEOPLE, PEOPLE WITH ACCESS TO HEALTH EDUCATION AND INTERNET, ASSOCIATED WITH SOCIAL ORGANIZATION, AND RECEIVING YOGA-RELATED TRAINING ARE MORE LIKELY TO PRACTICE YOGA. MAJOR REPORTED BENEFITS OF YOGA INCLUDE IMPROVEMENT IN BODY FLEXIBILITY AND BALANCE, A DECREASE IN THE LEVEL OF STRESS, IMPROVEMENT IN THE QUALITY OF LIFE, BODY WEIGHT MAINTENANCE, AND IMPROVEMENT IN IMMUNITY POWER. CONCLUSION: GIVEN THAT MOST RESPONDENTS HAVE BEEN BENEFITED FROM PRACTICING YOGA, WE RECOMMEND PEOPLE TO INCORPORATE YOGA INTO THEIR DAILY ROUTINE. 2021 14 1961 37 SELF-REPORTED BENEFITS AND ADVERSE OUTCOMES OF HOT YOGA PARTICIPATION. BACKGROUND: THERE IS LITTLE TO NO SCIENTIFIC DATA ABOUT THE HEALTH BENEFITS OR RISKS TO PARTICIPATING IN HOT YOGA, IN PARTICULAR DISTINGUISHING IT FROM THE PRACTICE OF NON-HOT YOGA. AIMS: THIS STUDY AIMS TO PROVIDE SOME PRELIMINARY EVIDENCE ABOUT THE RISKS AND BENEFITS OF PARTICIPATING IN HOT YOGA. FUTURE STUDIES WILL BE ABLE TO BUILD OFF THE FINDINGS HEREIN. METHODS: THIS STUDY UTILIZED ONLINE SURVEY SOFTWARE (QUALTRICS) AND RECRUITED PARTICIPANTS THROUGH CONVENIENCE SAMPLING (N = 157) BY TARGETING YOGA WEBSITES AND ONLINE FORUMS. AS THERE IS CURRENTLY NO KNOWN QUESTIONNAIRE THAT HAS BEEN DEVELOPED TO ASSESS THE RISKS AND BENEFITS OF HOT YOGA PARTICIPATION, AN EXPLORATORY MEASURE WAS DESIGNED TO GAIN MORE DETAILED RESPONSES FROM PARTICIPANTS. DESCRIPTIVE EPIDEMIOLOGICAL ANALYSES WE RE CONDUCTED. RESULTS: PARTICIPANTS OF HOT YOGA HAD A NUMBER OF PRE-EXISTING HEALTH CONDITIONS. BOTH BENEFITS AND ADVERSE OUTCOMES WERE REPORTED. THE MOST FREQUENTLY REPORTED HEALTH BENEFITS OF HOT YOGA IN THIS SAMPLE INCLUDED INCREASED FLEXIBILITY (63%), IMPROVED MOOD (58%), INCREASED FITNESS (43%), AND IMPROVED STAMINA (42%). JUST OVER HALF OF THE PARTICIPANTS REPORTED SOME SORT OF ADVERSE EVENT DURING A HOT YOGA SESSION (N = 82). THE MOST COMMONLY REPORTED ADVERSE EVENTS INCLUDED DIZZINESS (60%), FEELING LIGHT HEADED (61%), NAUSEA (35%), AND DEHYDRATION (34%), AMONGST OTHERS. CONCLUSIONS: FURTHER STUDY ON THE RISKS AND BENEFITS OF HOT YOGA PARTICIPATION IS REQUIRED. 2016 15 586 39 DETERMINANTS OF MAINTAINING A DAILY YOGA PRACTICE: HEALTH LOCUS OF CONTROL AND SELF-DETERMINATION THEORY PERSPECTIVE. BACKGROUND: DESPITE THE GROWING EVIDENCE OF THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF A YOGA PRACTICE, LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT THE FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO ITS SUSTAINED PRACTICE. AIMS: THE OBJECTIVES OF THE PRESENT STUDY WERE TWOFOLD: (1) TO DESCRIBE THE PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS (AGE, EDUCATION LEVEL, AND MARITAL STATUS) AND YOGA ASANA-RELATED BEHAVIOR OF PARTICIPANTS WHO PRACTICE ASHTANGA AND (2) TO EXAMINE THE HEALTH LOCUS OF CONTROL (HLOC) (AN INDIVIDUAL'S BELIEFS ABOUT THE EXTENT OF CONTROL THAT THEY HAVE OVER THINGS THAT HAPPEN TO THEM) AND SELF-DETERMINATION THEORIES. (PEOPLE ARE ABLE TO BECOME SELF-DETERMINED WHEN THEIR NEEDS FOR COMPETENCE, CONNECTION, AND AUTONOMY ARE FULFILLED IN RELATION TO THE MOTIVATED BEHAVIOR.). METHODS: ASHTANGA YOGA PRACTITIONERS (N = 100, AGE RANGE: 20-62 YEARS) REPORTED PRACTICING YOGA AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK COMPLETED SELF-REPORT QUESTIONNAIRES: DEMOGRAPHICS, ASANA PRACTICE, THE PERCEIVED CHOICE AND AWARENESS OF SELF SCALE, HLOC, THE GENERAL HEALTH QUESTIONNAIRE-12, THE PERCEIVED STRESS SCALE, AND THE STATE-TRAIT ANXIETY INVENTORY. RESULTS: IT WAS OBSERVED THAT PARTICIPANTS PRACTICED YOGA FOR AN AVERAGE 6.43 YEARS, 5 DAYS A WEEK FOR 93 MIN REPRESENTING A SUSTAINED, MOTIVATED HEALTH-RELATED BEHAVIOR. YEARS OF PRACTICE AND PERCENTAGE OF TIME SPENT IN HOME PRACTICE EXPLAIN 9% OF THE VARIANCE IN THE AWARENESS OF SELF, AND 7% IS EXPLAINED BY THE NUMBER OF PRACTICE DAYS A WEEK AND STATE ANXIETY. ASHTANGA YOGA PRACTITIONERS HAVE A HIGH INTERNAL HLOC; THIS IS RELATED TO REDUCED TRAIT ANXIETY AND INCREASED PERCEIVED CHOICE. CONCLUSIONS: THE MYSORE SYSTEM OF YOGA APPEARS TO FACILITATE SUSTAINED HEALTH-RELATED BEHAVIOR; IT IS SUGGESTED THAT HEALTH PROMOTION SHOULD ACKNOWLEDGE THE THREE ASPECTS OF SELF-DETERMINATION THEORY: COMPETENCE, AUTONOMY, AND RELATEDNESS, WHILE FOCUSING ON THE INCREASING INTRINSIC MOTIVATION AND INTERNALIZING HLOC. 2020 16 567 23 DECLINE IN THE USE OF MEDICALIZED YOGA BETWEEN 2002 AND 2012 WHILE THE OVERALL YOGA USE INCREASED IN THE UNITED STATES: A CONUNDRUM. WE ANALYZED THE NATIONAL HEALTH INSTITUTE SURVEY ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE SUPPLEMENT YOGA DATA FOR 2002, 2007, AND 2012 TO ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS: (1) DO THE CLAIMS ABOUT INCREASE IN THE USE OF YOGA HOLD TRUE AT THE LEVEL OF SPECIFIC HEALTH PROBLEMS? (2) DO TRENDS SUPPORT A PROPOSITION THAT YOGA IS BELIEVED TO BE HELPFUL IN AMELIORATION OF DISEASE CONDITIONS? (3) DO THE PRESCRIBING PATTERNS OF HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS CORRESPOND WITH THE INCREASING POPULARITY OF YOGA? DATA WERE ANALYZED USING SAS SOFTWARE, VERSION 9.4. RESPONSE PERCENTAGES WERE COMPARED USING CHI-SQUARE TEST AFTER ADJUSTING FOR AGE. BETWEEN 2002 AND 2012, USE OF YOGA INCREASED BUT ADHERENCE FAILED TO INCREASE, AND USE FOR SPECIFIC HEALTH PROBLEMS AND FOR BACK PAIN DECLINED; USE OF HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS' REFERRAL-DRIVEN YOGA DECLINED BETWEEN 2007 AND 2012. ALL RESULTS WERE STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT. OUR RESULTS SUGGEST THAT THE USE OF MEDICALIZED YOGA DECLINED BETWEEN 2002 AND 2012. 2017 17 1507 40 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 18 470 30 CHARACTERISTICS OF YOGA PRACTICE AND PREDICTORS OF PRACTICE FREQUENCY. YOGA IS A GLOBALLY POPULAR MIND-BODY PRACTICE USED FOR HEALTH. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO CHARACTERIZE YOGA PRACTICE AND FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH FREQUENCY OF PRACTICE. YOGA PRACTITIONERS WERE SENT INVITATIONS VIA EMAIL TO PARTICIPATE IN AN ONLINE SURVEY. YOGA CHARACTERISTICS AND OTHER SOCIODEMOGRAPHICS WERE COLLECTED. DATA FROM 309 CONSENTING RESPONDENTS WERE ANALYZED FOR PATTERNS IN PRACTICE CHARACTERISTICS (YOGA TECHNIQUES, LOCATION OF PRACTICE, METHOD OF INSTRUCTION, TEACHER STATUS, AND YOGA TYPE). ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN CHARACTERISTICS OF PRACTICE AND YOGA PRACTICE FREQUENCY WERE COMPUTED. THE FOLLOWING CHARACTERISTICS WERE THEN ANALYZED AS PREDICTORS OF PRACTICE FREQUENCY IN A REGRESSION MODEL: LOCATION OF PRACTICE, METHOD OF INSTRUCTION, TEACHER STATUS, YOGA TYPE, AND TECHNIQUES. MOST RESPONDENTS REPORTED USE OF ALL THREE YOGA TECHNIQUES (MOVEMENTS, BREATHING, AND MEDITATION) AND PRACTICED AN AVERAGE OF 4.5 +/- 1.9 DAYS A WEEK. KEY CHARACTERISTICS SUCH AS LOCATION OF PRACTICE, METHOD OF INSTRUCTION, AND FREQUENCY SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERED BY TEACHER STATUS AND BY YOGA TYPE (VINIYOGA PRACTITIONERS VS. OTHER YOGA STYLES). IN OUR REGRESSION MODEL, BEING A YOGA TEACHER, BEING TAUGHT A ONE-ON-ONE YOGA PRACTICE BY SOMEONE ELSE, AND REGULAR USE OF MOVEMENT WERE POSITIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH INCREASED PRACTICE FREQUENCY. OUR ANALYSES PROVIDE INSIGHT INTO HOW YOGA FACTORS SUCH AS TEACHER STATUS, METHOD OF INSTRUCTION, AND USE OF TOOLS RELATE TO PRACTICE FREQUENCY. UNDERSTANDING THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN PRACTICE CHARACTERISTICS AND PRACTICE FREQUENCY MAY ALLOW FOR THE IMPROVED IMPLEMENTATION OF YOGA FOR HEALTH. 2018 19 78 43 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 20 1157 36 EPIDEMIOLOGY OF YOGA-RELATED INJURIES IN CANADA FROM 1991 TO 2010: A CASE SERIES STUDY. THE AIM IS TO DESCRIBE THE EPIDEMIOLOGY OF YOGA INJURIES PRESENTING TO SELECT CANADIAN EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS (EDS). THOSE WHO PRESENTED WITH A YOGA INJURY TO A CANADIAN ED PARTICIPATING IN THE CANADIAN HOSPITALS INJURY REPORTING AND PREVENTION PROGRAM AND HAD COMPLETED A DATA COLLECTION FORM BETWEEN 1991 AND 2010 WERE INCLUDED. DEMOGRAPHIC AND INJURY CHARACTERISTICS WERE TABULATED AND INJURY PROFILES OF CHILDREN WERE COMPARED TO ADULTS. SIXTY-SIX INDIVIDUALS (48 FEMALE, 18 MALE) WHO SUSTAINED 67 INJURIES WERE INCLUDED. THE MEDIAN AGE WAS 19 (INTRAQUARTILE RANGE: 13, 32) AND 73% OF INDIVIDUALS WERE INJURED AFTER 2005 (P = 0.0003). SPRAIN WAS THE MOST COMMON INJURY (23/67, 34%) AND THE MOST COMMON BODY REGION INJURED WAS THE LOWER EXTREMITY (27/67, 42%). SIGNIFICANTLY MORE CHILDREN WERE INJURED WHILE BEING INSTRUCTED THAN ADULTS (P = 0.003) BUT MORE ADULTS REQUIRED TREATMENT (P = 0.023). ALTHOUGH YOGA-RELATED INJURIES PRESENTING TO AN ED ARE NOT COMMON, THE NUMBER OF INJURIES ARE INCREASING. 2016