1 2802 137 YOGA THERAPY IN CHILDREN WITH CYSTIC FIBROSIS DECREASES IMMEDIATE ANXIETY AND JOINT PAIN. THIS STUDY WAS DESIGNED TO DETERMINE WHETHER YOGA MIGHT ALLEVIATE SYMPTOMS OF PAIN, SLEEP DISTURBANCE, ANXIETY, AND DEPRESSION IN CHILDREN WITH CYSTIC FIBROSIS (CF). CF IS THE MOST COMMON GENETIC, LIFE-LIMITING CHRONIC DISEASE AMONG CAUCASIAN POPULATIONS. IT PRIMARILY AFFECTS THE LUNGS BUT ALSO MANY OTHER SECRETORY ORGANS AND CONSEQUENTLY LEADS TO SIGNIFICANT MORBIDITIES. RESEARCH HAS SHOWN THAT CHILDREN WITH CF HAVE SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, AND PAIN COMPARED TO THEIR HEALTHY COUNTERPARTS. SUBJECTS PARTICIPATED IN SIX ONE-ON-ONE SESSIONS OVER A 10-WEEK PERIOD WITH A CERTIFIED INSTRUCTOR WHO DESIGNED EACH YOGA PRACTICE BASED ON A PREESTABLISHED LIST OF 30 YOGA ASANAS. QUESTIONNAIRES EVALUATING PAIN, SLEEP DISTURBANCE, SUSTAINED ANXIETY, IMMEDIATE ANXIETY, AND DEPRESSION WERE ADMINISTERED. DIFFERENCES BETWEEN PREMEASURES AND POSTMEASURES WERE EVALUATED USING A TWO-SIDED TEST. TWENTY SUBJECTS WERE ASSESSED (12 FEMALES/8 MALES), MEDIAN AGE OF 11 (7-20) YEARS. MEAN IMMEDIATE ANXIETY SCORES DECREASED (BEFORE SESSION TO AFTER SESSION 29 TO 23.6, RESPECTIVELY, P < 0.001). JOINT PAIN IMPROVED (3.25 TO 3.65, P = 0.028). CFQ-R EMOTION SUBSCALE IMPROVED FROM 79.2 TO 85 (P = 0.073), AND THE RESPIRATORY SUBSCALE IMPROVED FROM 66.7 TO 79.2 (P = 0.076). OTHER RESULTS WERE LESS NOTABLE. WE CONCLUDE THAT YOGA MAY REDUCE IMMEDIATE ANXIETY AND JOINT PAIN IN PATIENTS WITH CF. 2016 2 473 31 CHARACTERISTICS OF YOGA USERS: RESULTS OF A NATIONAL SURVEY. BACKGROUND: THERE ARE LIMITED DATA ON THE CHARACTERISTICS OF YOGA USERS IN THE U.S. OBJECTIVE: TO CHARACTERIZE YOGA USERS, MEDICAL REASONS FOR USE, PERCEPTIONS OF HELPFULNESS, AND DISCLOSURE OF USE TO MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS. METHODS: UTILIZING CROSS-SECTIONAL SURVEY DATA FROM THE 2002 NATIONAL HEALTH INTERVIEW SURVEY (NHIS) ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE SUPPLEMENT (N = 31044), WE EXAMINED CORRELATES OF YOGA USE FOR HEALTH. THE ESTIMATED PREVALENCE FROM 2002 NHIS OF YOGA FOR HEALTH WAS 5.1% CORRESPONDING TO OVER 10 MILLION ADULTS. RESULTS: IN 2002, YOGA USERS WERE PREDOMINATELY CAUCASIAN (85%) AND FEMALE (76%) WITH A MEAN AGE OF 39.5 YEARS. COMPARED TO NON-YOGA USERS, YOGA USERS WERE MORE LIKELY FEMALE (OR 3.76, 95% CI 3.11-4.33); LESS LIKELY BLACK THAN WHITE (OR 0.65, 95% CI 0.53-0.80); TENDED TO BE YOUNGER; AND MORE LIKELY COLLEGE EDUCATED (OR 2.70, 95% CI 2.37-3.08). MUSCULOSKELETAL CONDITIONS (OR 1.61, 95% CI 1.42-1.83), MENTAL HEALTH CONDITIONS (OR 1.43, 95% CI 1.22-1.67), SEVERE SPRAINS IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS (OR 1.49, 95% CI 1.22-1.81), AND ASTHMA (OR 1.27, 95% CI 1.05-1.54) WERE INDEPENDENTLY ASSOCIATED WITH HIGHER YOGA USE, WHILE HYPERTENSION (OR 0.78, 95% CI 0.64-0.95) AND CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE LUNG DISEASE (OR 0.69, 95% CI 0.48-1.00) WERE ASSOCIATED WITH LOWER USE. YOGA WAS MOST COMMONLY USED TO TREAT MUSCULOSKELETAL OR MENTAL HEALTH CONDITIONS, AND MOST USERS REPORTED YOGA TO BE HELPFUL FOR THESE CONDITIONS. A MAJORITY OF YOGA USERS (61%) FELT YOGA WAS IMPORTANT IN MAINTAINING HEALTH, THOUGH ONLY 25% DISCLOSED YOGA PRACTICE TO THEIR MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL. CONCLUSIONS: WE FOUND THAT YOGA USERS ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE WHITE, FEMALE, YOUNG AND COLLEGE EDUCATED. YOGA USERS REPORT BENEFIT FOR MUSCULOSKELETAL CONDITIONS AND MENTAL HEALTH, INDICATING THAT FURTHER RESEARCH ON THE EFFICACY OF YOGA FOR THE TREATMENT AND/OR PREVENTION OF THESE CONDITIONS IS WARRANTED. 2008 3 389 33 BENEFITS OF YOGA FOR AFRICAN AMERICAN HEART FAILURE PATIENTS. BACKGROUND: THE NUMBER OF AFRICAN AMERICAN (AA) PATIENTS LIVING WITH HEART FAILURE (HF) HAS BEEN INCREASING, ESPECIALLY AMONG THE ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED. YOGA THERAPY HAS BEEN FOUND TO IMPROVE PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL PARAMETERS AMONG HEALTHY INDIVIDUALS, BUT ITS EFFECT IN PATIENTS WITH HF REMAINS UNKNOWN. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO EXAMINE THE EFFECTS OF YOGA THERAPY ON CARDIOVASCULAR ENDURANCE (VO2PEAK), FLEXIBILITY, QUALITY OF LIFE (QOL), AND INFLAMMATORY MARKERS ON MEDICALLY STABLE HF PATIENTS. METHODS: FORTY PATIENTS (38 AA, 1 ASIAN, AND 1 CAUCASIAN) WITH SYSTOLIC OR DIASTOLIC HF WERE RANDOMIZED TO THE YOGA GROUP (YG, N = 21) OR THE CONTROL GROUP (CG, N = 19). ALL PATIENTS WERE ASKED TO FOLLOW A HOME WALK PROGRAM. PREMEASUREMENT AND POSTMEASUREMENT INCLUDED A TREADMILL STRESS TEST TO PEAK EXERTION, FLEXIBILITY, INTERLEUKIN-6 (IL-6), C-REACTIVE PROTEIN (CRP), AND EXTRACELLULAR SUPEROXIDE DISMUTASE (EC-SOD). QOL WAS ASSESSED BY THE MINNESOTA LIVING WITH HEART FAILURE QUESTIONNAIRE (MLWHFQ). RESULTS: THE STATISTICAL ANALYSES (ASSESSED BY ANOVA AND T-TESTS) WERE SIGNIFICANT FOR FAVORABLE CHANGES IN THE YG, COMPARED WITH THOSE IN THE CG, FOR FLEXIBILITY (P = 0.012), TREADMILL TIME (P = 0.002), VO2PEAK (P = 0.003), AND THE BIOMARKERS (IL-6, P = 0.004; CRP, P = 0.016; AND EC-SOD, P = 0.012). WITHIN THE YG, PRETEST TO POSTTEST SCORES FOR THE TOTAL (P = 0.02) AND PHYSICAL SUBSCALES (P < 0.001) OF THE MLWHFQ WERE IMPROVED. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA THERAPY OFFERED ADDITIONAL BENEFITS TO THE STANDARD MEDICAL CARE OF PREDOMINANTLY AA HF PATIENTS BY IMPROVING CARDIOVASCULAR ENDURANCE, QOL, INFLAMMATORY MARKERS, AND FLEXIBILITY. 2010 4 1583 30 MEDICAL STUDENTS' STRESS LEVELS AND SENSE OF WELL BEING AFTER SIX WEEKS OF YOGA AND MEDITATION. OBJECTIVE. TO DETERMINE THE EFFECT OF SIX WEEKS OF YOGA AND MEDITATION ON MEDICAL STUDENTS' LEVELS OF PERCEIVED STRESS AND SENSE OF WELLBEING PRIOR TO TAKING THEIR EXAMS. METHODS. WE CONDUCTED A PROSPECTIVE CASE-CONTROL STUDY OF FIRST-THROUGH-THIRD-YEAR MEDICAL STUDENTS AT OUR ACADEMIC INSTITUTION, MEASURING LEVELS OF PERCEIVED STRESS AND SENSE OF WELLBEING BEFORE AND AFTER A SIX-WEEK YOGA AND MEDITATION INTERVENTION. QUESTIONNAIRES USED FOR EVALUATION INCLUDED THE PERCEIVED STRESS SCALE (PSS) AND SELF-ASSESSMENT SURVEYS (SAS). THE POSTINTERVENTION SURVEYS WERE COMPLETED ON THE DAY OF THE STUDENTS' WRITTEN EXAMS. RESULTS. A TOTAL OF THIRTEEN WOMEN AND FOURTEEN MEN PARTICIPATED. MEDIAN AGE WAS 28 (24 YRS-32 YRS). 48.1% WERE CAUCASIAN, 7.4% BLACK, 11.1% HISPANIC, 11.1% ASIAN, AND 22.2% OTHER. PAIRED T-TESTS SHOWED A STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN PERCEIVED STRESS (18.44 VERSUS 14.52; P = 0.004) AFTER THE SIX-WEEK YOGA AND MEDITATION PROGRAM. AFTER THE YOGA INTERVENTION, SELF-ASSESSMENT SURVEY RESULTS SHOWED A SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN FEELINGS OF PEACE, FOCUS, AND ENDURANCE. IMPROVEMENTS IN HAPPINESS, POSITIVITY, PERSONAL SATISFACTION, AND SELF-CONFIDENCE WERE ALSO SEEN. AN IMPROVEMENT IN UNSUBSTANTIATED PARAMETERS SUCH AS PATIENCE AND FATIGUE WAS OBSERVED. CONCLUSION. YOGA AND MEDITATION MAY BE EFFECTIVE IN REDUCING STRESS LEVELS AND IMPROVING ASPECTS OF PERSONAL WELLBEING IN MEDICAL STUDENTS. 2016 5 916 34 EFFECTIVENESS OF SOMATIC YOGA AND MEDITATION: A PILOT STUDY IN A MULTICULTURAL CANCER SURVIVOR POPULATION WITH CHEMOTHERAPY-INDUCED PERIPHERAL NEUROPATHY. CHEMOTHERAPY-INDUCED PERIPHERAL NEUROPATHY (CIPN) CAUSES SIGNIFICANT PAIN AND IS AN ADVERSE EFFECT OF TREATMENT WITH CHEMOTHERAPEUTIC AGENTS. WE EXPLORED A SOMATIC YOGA AND MEDITATION INTERVENTION IN A PREDOMINANTLY MINORITY POPULATION. GOALS INCLUDED DESCRIBING STRATEGIES FOR MINORITY INCLUSION AND TESTING FEASIBILITY AND EFFECTIVENESS. EIGHT INDIVIDUALS WITH CIPN ENROLLED IN A SINGLE-ARM FEASIBILITY TRIAL. SOMATIC YOGA AND MEDITATION WERE PROVIDED WEEKLY FOR 8 WEEKS, WITH AN ADDITIONAL HOME PROGRAM COMPONENT. THE PRIMARY OUTCOMES WERE SIT AND REACH, FUNCTIONAL REACH, AND TIMED UP AND GO. SECONDARY OUTCOMES WERE PATIENT NEUROTOXICITY QUESTIONNAIRE, FACT-GOG-NTX (FOR ADDRESSING PATIENT CONCERNS ASSOCIATED WITH NEUROLOGICAL SYMPTOMS), BRIEF PAIN INVENTORY, PERCEIVED STRESS SCALE, PITTSBURGH SLEEP QUALITY INDEX, AND FALLS EFFICACY SCALE. SENSITIVITY TO VIBRATION WAS MEASURED VIA BIOTHESIOMETER. PARTICIPANTS WITH A MEAN AGE OF 65 (49-73) YEARS SELF-REPORTED AS 63% AFRICAN-AMERICAN AND 37% CAUCASIAN. THEY ATTENDED 81% OF THE SESSIONS, AND NO ADVERSE EVENTS WE RE RE P O RTED. CIPN SYMPTOMS (FAC T- G O G - N T X ) IMPROVED SIGNIFICANTLY (FROM 88.88 TO 106.88, STANDARD DEVIATION = 20.03; P = 0.039). FEAR OF FALLING IMPROVED, APPROACHING SIGNIFICANCE (FROM 39.26 TO 34.38, STANDARD DEVIATION = 6.081; P = 0.058). OTHER MEASURES SHOWED IMPROVEMENT TRENDS, WITH A SLIGHT INCREASE IN BRIEF PAIN INVENTORY PAIN SEVERITY (FROM 3.50 TO 3.75, P = 0.041) POSSIBLY REFLECTING COMORBIDITIES. FOUR QUALITATIVE THEMES EMERGED: (1) CIPN SYMPTOM VARIABILITY, WITH MUSCULOSKELETAL COMORBIDITIES; (2) UTILITY OF LEARNED SKILLS; (3) IMPROVEMENT IN SELF-CONFIDENCE, BALANCE, AND STABILITY; AND (4) SOCIAL SUPPORT, WITH CIPN EXPERIENCE VALIDATION AND INCREASING HEALTH LITERACY. CHALLENGES OF RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION REQUIRE SPECIFIC OUTREACH, COMMUNITY TRUST, AND HEALTH LITERACY. PRELIMINARY DATA SUGGEST THAT SOMATIC YOGA AND MEDITATION MAY AFFECT FEAR OF FALLING AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN CANCER SURVIVORS WITH CIPN. A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL USING INCLUSIVE RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION METHODS IS INDICATED TO ESTABLISH THE INTERVENTION'S EFFICACY. 2020 6 2345 20 USING A STUDIO-ACADEMIC PARTNERSHIP TO ADVANCE PUBLIC HEALTH WITHIN A PRAGMATIC YOGA SETTING. OBJECTIVES: TO EXPLORE COMMUNITY-BASED YOGA STUDIO PRACTITIONERS' PSYCHOSOCIAL VARIABLES, BEHAVIORS, AND STUDIO SATISFACTION. METHODS: CONCURRENT MIXED-METHODS STUDY CONSISTED OF A SURVEY FOR DEMOGRAPHIC VARIABLES AND PSYCHOSOCIAL VARIABLES OF INTEREST (E.G., MINDFULNESS, SELF-COMPASSION, PHYSICAL ACTIVITY PARTICIPATION) AND INTERVIEWS REGARDING REASONS FOR PARTICIPATING AT THE YOGA STUDIO. RESULTS: PARTICIPANTS (N = 138) WERE, ON AVERAGE, 35.58 +/- 14.09 YEARS OLD AND PREDOMINANTLY FEMALE (91.3%), MARRIED (40.6%) OR SINGLE (37%), CAUCASIAN (75%), AND COLLEGE (25.4%) OR GRADUATE/MEDICAL SCHOOL (45%) EDUCATED, WITH 54% MEETING PHYSICAL ACTIVITY RECOMMENDATIONS. ON A 5-POINT LIKERT-TYPE SCALE, PARTICIPANTS REPORTED BEING MODERATELY COHESIVE (MSUMSCORE = 3.87 +/- 0.62), STRESSED (MSUMSCORE = 3.2 +/- 0.39), MINDFUL (MSUMSCORE = 3.4 +/- 0.41), AND SELF-COMPASSIONATE (MSUMSCORE = 3.26 +/- 0.56). A RAPID CONTENT ANALYSIS OF INTERVIEWS (N = 18), INDICATED THAT PARTICIPANTS PRIMARILY PRACTICED AT THE STUDIO FOR THE SENSE OF COMMUNITY. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA PRACTITIONERS REPORTED POSITIVE PERCEPTIONS AND BEHAVIORS; HOWEVER, OPPORTUNITIES REMAIN FOR INTERVENTIONS TO IMPROVE MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH AMONG INDIVIDUALS ALREADY ATTENDING A YOGA STUDIO. THROUGH AN ACADEMIC-STUDIO PARTNERSHIP, STUDIO OFFERINGS MAY INCLUDE LOW-DOSE EVIDENCE-BASED INTERVENTIONS TO IMPROVE ACCESS TO AND UPTAKE OF A YOGA PRACTICE. 2019 7 1363 42 IMPACT AND OUTCOMES OF AN IYENGAR YOGA PROGRAM IN A CANCER CENTRE. BACKGROUND: INDIVIDUALS HAVE INCREASINGLY SOUGHT COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES TO ENHANCE HEALTH AND WELL-BEING DURING CANCER, ALTHOUGH LITTLE EVIDENCE OF THEIR EFFECT IS AVAILABLE. OBJECTIVES: WE INVESTIGATED HOW AN IYENGAR YOGA PROGRAM AFFECTS THE SELF-IDENTIFIED WORST SYMPTOM IN A GROUP OF PARTICIPANTS. WHETHER QUALITY OF LIFE, SPIRITUAL WELL-BEING, AND MOOD DISTURBANCE CHANGE OVER THE IYENGAR YOGA PROGRAM AND AT 6 WEEKS AFTER THE PROGRAM. HOW, FROM A PARTICIPANT'S PERSPECTIVE, THE IYENGAR YOGA PROGRAM COMPLEMENTS CONVENTIONAL CANCER TREATMENT. PATIENTS AND METHODS: THIS PRE-POST INSTRUMENTAL COLLECTIVE CASE STUDY USED A MIXED METHODS DESIGN AND WAS CONDUCTED AT A PRIVATE IYENGAR YOGA STUDIO. THE SAMPLE CONSISTED OF 24 VOLUNTEERS (23 WOMEN, 1 MAN; 88% CAUCASIAN; MEAN AGE: 49 YEARS) WHO WERE CURRENTLY ON TREATMENT OR WHO HAD BEEN TREATED FOR CANCER WITHIN THE PREVIOUS 6 MONTHS, AND WHO PARTICIPATED IN TEN 90-MINUTE WEEKLY IYENGAR YOGA CLASSES. THE MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES WERE MOST-BOTHERSOME SYMPTOM (MEASURE YOUR MEDICAL OUTCOME PROFILE 2 INSTRUMENT), QUALITY OF LIFE AND SPIRITUAL WELL-BEING (FUNCTIONAL ASSESSMENT OF CHRONIC ILLNESS THERAPY-GENERAL SUBSCALE AND SPIRITUAL SUBSCALE), AND MOOD DISTURBANCE (PROFILE OF MOOD STATES-SHORT FORM). PARTICIPANT PERSPECTIVES WERE OBTAINED IN QUALITATIVE INTERVIEWS. RESULTS: STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS WERE REPORTED IN MOST-BOTHERSOME SYMPTOM (T((23)) = 5.242; P < 0.001), QUALITY OF LIFE (F((2,46)) = 14.5; P < 0.001), SPIRITUAL WELL-BEING (F((2,46)) = 14.4; P < 0.001), AND MOOD DISTURBANCE (F((2,46)) = 10.8; P < 0.001) DURING THE PROGRAM. AT FOLLOW-UP, QUALITY OF LIFE (T((21)) = -3.7; P = 0.001) AND MOOD DISTURBANCE (T((21)) = 2.4; P = 0.025) SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED OVER TIME. CATEGORICAL AGGREGATION OF THE INTERVIEW DATA SHOWED THAT PARTICIPANTS FELT THE PROGRAM PROVIDED THEM WITH VARIOUS BENEFITS NOT INCLUDED ON THE OUTCOMES QUESTIONNAIRES. CONCLUSIONS: OVER THE COURSE OF THE IYENGAR YOGA FOR CANCER PROGRAM, PARTICIPANTS REPORTED AN IMPROVEMENT IN OVERALL WELL-BEING. THE PROGRAM WAS ALSO FOUND TO PRESENT PARTICIPANTS WITH A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO CARE AND TO PROVIDE TOOLS TO EFFECTIVELY MANAGE THE DEMANDS OF LIVING WITH CANCER AND ITS TREATMENT. 2008 8 2667 34 YOGA IN HEART FAILURE PATIENTS: A PILOT STUDY. BACKGROUND: COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES SUCH AS YOGA PRACTICE HAVE BECOME COMMONPLACE, YET THE SAFETY, PHYSICAL, AND PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS ON PATIENTS WITH HEART FAILURE (HF) ARE UNKNOWN. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO DETERMINE WHETHER AN 8-WEEK YOGA PROGRAM WAS SAFE AND WOULD POSITIVELY INFLUENCE PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL FUNCTION IN HF PATIENTS. METHODS AND RESULTS: STABLE HF PATIENTS WERE RECRUITED (N = 15) AND COMPLETED (N = 12) 8 WEEKS OF YOGA CLASSES. DATA COLLECTED WERE: SAFETY (CARDIAC AND ORTHOPEDIC ADVERSE EVENTS); PHYSICAL FUNCTION (STRENGTH, BALANCE, ENDURANCE, FLEXIBILITY); AND PSYCHOLOGICAL FUNCTION (QUALITY OF LIFE [QOL], DEPRESSION SCORES, MINDFULNESS) BEFORE AND AFTER 8 WEEKS OF YOGA CLASSES. RESULTS: MEAN AGE WAS 52.4 + OR - 11.6 WITH THREE-FOURTHS (N = 9) BEING MALE AND CAUCASIAN. NO PARTICIPANT HAD ANY ADVERSE EVENTS. ENDURANCE (P < .02) AND STRENGTH (UPPER P = .04 AND LOWER BODY P = .01) SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED. BALANCE IMPROVED BY 13.6 SECONDS (26.9 + OR - 19.7 TO 40.0 + OR - 18.5; P = .05). SYMPTOM STABILITY, A SUBSCALE OF QOL, IMPROVED SIGNIFICANTLY (P = .02). ALTHOUGH NO SUBJECT WAS DEPRESSED, OVERALL MOOD WAS IMPROVED. SUBJECTS SUBJECTIVELY REPORTED IMPROVEMENTS IN OVERALL WELL-BEING. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA PRACTICE WAS SAFE, WITH PARTICIPANTS EXPERIENCING IMPROVED PHYSICAL FUNCTION AND SYMPTOM STABILITY. LARGER STUDIES ARE WARRANTED TO PROVIDE MORE NONPHARMACOLOGICAL OPTIONS FOR IMPROVED OUTCOMES IN PATIENTS WITH HF. 2010 9 1070 34 EFFECTS OF YOGA ON MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN. PURPOSE: MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN HAS BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH WORK STRESS AND A SHORTENED CAREER IN THE DENTAL HYGIENE PROFESSION. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO DETERMINE IF PARTICIPATING IN TWO YOGA SESSIONS PER WEEK WOULD REDUCE THE MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN REPORTED BY DENTAL HYGIENE STUDENTS AND OR IMPACT BODY COMPOSITION.METHODS: A CONVENIENCE SAMPLE OF 77 DENTAL HYGIENE STUDENTS SELF-SELECTED INTO TREATMENT (YOGA) AND CONTROL GROUPS. STUDENTS IN THE YOGA GROUP PARTICIPATED IN BI-WEEKLY, 60-MINUTE YOGA SESSIONS FOR 13 CONSECUTIVE WEEKS. STUDENTS COMPLETED A QUESTIONNAIRE AND A COMPARATIVE PAIN SCALE EVALUATION PRIOR TO AND IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE STUDY PERIOD TO ASSESS MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN. ADDITIONALLY, THE OMRON HBF-514C FULL BODY COMPOSITION SENSING MONITOR AND SCALE WAS USED TO MEASURE BODY MASS INDEX (BMI), BODY FAT, AND MUSCLE PRIOR TO AND UPON COMPLETION OF THE STUDY. PAIRED SAMPLE T-TESTS AND INDEPENDENT T-TESTS WERE USED TO ANALYZE THE DATA.RESULTS: THIRTY-EIGHT DENTAL HYGIENE STUDENTS, WITH AN AVERAGE AGE OF 23.9 YEARS, PARTICIPATED IN THE YOGA GROUP AND 39 WERE ASSIGNED TO THE CONTROL GROUP. THE MAJORITY OF THE PARTICIPANTS WERE CAUCASIAN (63.6%) FEMALES (90.9%). PARTICIPANTS IN BOTH GROUPS WERE OF SIMILAR AGE, ETHNICITY, AND HAD COMPARABLE PRE-STUDY HARICH COMPARATIVE PAIN SCALE SCORES. AFTER PARTICIPATING IN THE YOGA SESSIONS, THE TREATMENT GROUP REPORTED A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN (P<0.001), WHILE THE CONTROL GROUP REPORTED NO SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN (P=0.881). THE YOGA SESSIONS DID NOT SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACT THE BMI SCORES FOR THE YOGA TREATMENT GROUP (P=.984) OR THE CONTROL GROUP (P=.901).CONCLUSION: THIS RESEARCH SUPPORTS THE PRACTICE OF BI-WEEKLY YOGA SESSIONS AS BENEFICIAL IN DECREASING MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN IN DENTAL HYGIENE STUDENTS. YOGA CAN BE CONSIDERED A VIABLE COMPLEMENTARY HEALTH APPROACH TO INCORPORATE INTO STUDENT SCHEDULES AS A MEANS OF INCREASING THE HEALTH AND LONGEVITY OF A DENTAL HYGIENE CAREER. 2017 10 2746 29 YOGA PRACTICE IN A COLLEGE SAMPLE: ASSOCIATED CHANGES IN EATING DISORDER, BODY IMAGE, AND RELATED FACTORS OVER TIME. YOGA PRACTICE IS ASSOCIATED WITH IMPROVEMENTS IN EATING DISORDER (ED) SYMPTOMS AND BODY DISSATISFACTION. THIS STUDY CONTINUED TO EVALUATE THIS RELATIONSHIP WHILE ALSO ASSESSING CHANGES IN VARIABLES NEGATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH ED SYMPTOMS (SELF-COMPASSION, MINDFULNESS, BODY APPRECIATION, SELF-EFFICACY) THAT ARE EMPHASIZED THROUGHOUT YOGA. MEN WERE ALSO INCLUDED IN THIS STUDY GIVEN STUDIES HAVE PREDOMINANTLY FOCUSED ON WOMEN. PARTICIPANTS (N = 99, 77.8% WOMEN) WERE RECRUITED FROM A UNIVERSITY-IMPLEMENTED YOGA COURSE AND COMPLETED ASSESSMENTS AT THE BEGINNING (TIME 1 (T1)) AND END (TIME 2 (T2)) OF AN EIGHT-WEEK YOGA COURSE MEETING THREE TIMES A WEEK FOR FIFTY MINUTES. BODY DISSATISFACTION (PS <.05) AND ED PATHOLOGY (P = .02) WERE LOWER AT T2. BODY APPRECIATION (P < .001), SELF-COMPASSION (P = .01), YOGA SELF-EFFICACY (P = .004) WERE HIGHER AT T2. SOME GENDER DIFFERENCES EMERGED. MEN REPORTED GREATER REDUCTIONS IN CONCERN WITH BEING OVERWEIGHT, (OVERWEIGHT PREOCCUPATION) FROM T1 (M = 2.46, SD = 0.61) TO T2 (M = 2.13, SD = 0.61) COMPARED TO WOMEN, T1 (M = 2.75, SD = 0.98) TO T2 (M = 2.69, SD = 0.97) ASSOCIATED WITH YOGA PRACTICE. MEN ALSO REPORTED GREATER IMPROVEMENTS IN BODY SATISFACTION (APPEARANCE EVALUATION) FROM T1 (M = 3.60, SD = 0.49) TO T2 (M = 3.90, SD = 0.34) COMPARED WITH WOMEN, T1 (M = 3.48, SD = 0.58) TO T2 (M = 3.39, SD = 0.52) ASSOCIATED WITH YOGA PRACTICE. RESULTS SUGGEST YOGA MAY BE ASSOCIATED WITH CONCURRENT CHANGES IN PROTECTIVE AND RISK FACTORS FOR ED IN A COLLEGE POPULATION. 2020 11 114 21 A PILOT STUDY OF A YOGA AND MEDITATION INTERVENTION FOR DEMENTIA CAREGIVER STRESS. TWELVE OLDER FEMALE DEMENTIA PATIENT FAMILY CAREGIVERS (EIGHT LATINAS AND FOUR CAUCASIANS) PARTICIPATED IN A SIX-SESSION MANUALIZED YOGA-MEDITATION PROGRAM (CALLED INNER RESOURCES) DESIGNED TO HELP CAREGIVERS COPE WITH STRESS. PRE/POST COMPARISONS REVEALED STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT REDUCTIONS IN DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY AND IMPROVEMENTS IN PERCEIVED SELF-EFFICACY. AVERAGE MINUTES OF WEEKLY YOGA-MEDITATION PRACTICE WERE SIGNIFICANTLY ASSOCIATED WITH IMPROVEMENTS IN DEPRESSION. THE MAJORITY OF CAREGIVERS FOUND THE INTERVENTION USEFUL AND REPORTED SUBJECTIVE IMPROVEMENTS IN PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL FUNCTIONING. THESE FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT INNER RESOURCES MAY BE A FEASIBLE AND EFFECTIVE INTERVENTION FOR FAMILY CAREGIVERS AND MAY IMPROVE AFFECT, COPING, PHYSICAL WELL-BEING, AND STRESS MANAGEMENT. 2004 12 1271 21 FREQUENCY OF YOGA PRACTICE PREDICTS HEALTH: RESULTS OF A NATIONAL SURVEY OF YOGA PRACTITIONERS. BACKGROUND. YOGA SHOWS PROMISE AS A THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTION, BUT RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN YOGA PRACTICE AND HEALTH ARE UNDEREXPLORED. PURPOSE. TO EXAMINE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YOGA PRACTICE AND HEALTH (SUBJECTIVE WELL-BEING, DIET, BMI, SMOKING, ALCOHOL/CAFFEINE CONSUMPTION, SLEEP, FATIGUE, SOCIAL SUPPORT, MINDFULNESS, AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY). METHODS. CROSS-SECTIONAL, ANONYMOUS INTERNET SURVEYS DISTRIBUTED TO 4307 RANDOMLY SELECTED FROM 18,160 INDIVIDUALS AT 15 US IYENGAR YOGA STUDIOS; 1045 (24.3%) SURVEYS COMPLETED. RESULTS. MEAN AGE 51.7 (+/- 11.7) YEARS; 84.2% FEMALE. FREQUENCY OF HOME PRACTICE FAVORABLY PREDICTED (P < .001): MINDFULNESS, SUBJECTIVE WELL-BEING, BMI, FRUIT AND VEGETABLE CONSUMPTION, VEGETARIAN STATUS, SLEEP, AND FATIGUE. EACH COMPONENT OF YOGA PRACTICE (DIFFERENT CATEGORIES OF PHYSICAL POSES, BREATH WORK, MEDITATION, PHILOSOPHY STUDY) PREDICTED AT LEAST 1 HEALTH OUTCOME (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS. HOME PRACTICE OF YOGA PREDICTED HEALTH BETTER THAN YEARS OF PRACTICE OR CLASS FREQUENCY. DIFFERENT PHYSICAL POSES AND YOGA TECHNIQUES MAY HAVE UNIQUE HEALTH BENEFITS. 2012 13 1150 36 ENHANCING ACCESS TO YOGA FOR OLDER MALE VETERANS AFTER CANCER: EXAMINING BELIEFS ABOUT YOGA. BACKGROUND: YOGA IS AN EFFECTIVE CLINICAL INTERVENTION FOR CANCER SURVIVORS. MOST STUDIES OF THE POSITIVE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON CANCER PATIENTS REPORT ON PREDOMINANTLY MIDDLE-AGED WOMEN WITH BREAST CANCER. LESS IS KNOWN ABOUT THE USE OF YOGA IN OLDER ADULTS, VETERANS, AND THOSE FROM DIVERSE RACIAL OR ETHNIC BACKGROUNDS. METHODS: WE EXAMINED STRATEGIES TO ENHANCE ACCESS TO YOGA IN OLDER VETERANS AFTER CANCER, FOCUSING ON EDUCATION (STUDY 1) AND INTERVENTION (STUDY 2). STUDY 1 INCLUDED 110 PARTICIPANTS WITH A MEDIAN (SD) AGE OF 64.9 (9.4) YEARS WHO WERE MOSTLY MALE (99%) CANCER SURVIVORS WHO WERE INTERVIEWED 12 MONTHS AFTER THEIR CANCER DIAGNOSIS. STUDY 2 INCLUDED 28 PARTICIPANTS WITH A MEDIAN (SD) AGE OF 69.2 (10.9) YEARS WHO WERE MOSTLY MALE (96%) CANCER SURVIVORS WHO PARTICIPATED IN A YOGA PROGRAM WITHIN 3 YEARS OF THEIR CANCER DIAGNOSIS. STANDARDIZED INTERVIEWS ASSESSED INTEREST IN AND BARRIERS TO YOGA WHILE SELF-REPORTING ASSESSED HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE AND BELIEFS ABOUT YOGA. RESULTS: IN STUDY 1, INTEREST IN YOGA INCREASED FROM 5.5 TO 31.8% (CHI (2) = 22.25, P < .001) FOLLOWING EDUCATION. IN OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS 4 THEMES RELATED TO NEGATIVE BELIEFS OR BARRIERS EMERGED: LACK OF KNOWLEDGE OR SKEPTICISM, DISINTEREST OR DISLIKE, PHYSICAL HEALTH BARRIERS, AND LOGISTICAL BARRIERS. IN STUDY 2, BELIEFS WERE MORE POSITIVE FOLLOWING INTERVENTION FOR EXPECTED BENEFITS (T = 4.44, P < .001), DISCOMFORT (T = 4.92, P < .001), AND SOCIAL NORMS (T = 4.38, P < .001) RELATED TO YOGA. PHYSICAL FUNCTION IMPROVED AFTER PARTICIPATION IN A YOGA CLASS, ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE WITH HIGHER BELIEFS IN YOGA PRIOR TO CLASS. AGE WAS NOT ASSOCIATED WITH BELIEFS ABOUT YOGA IN EITHER SAMPLE. CONCLUSIONS: A PORTION OF OLDER VETERANS WHO ARE CANCER SURVIVORS WERE INTERESTED IN YOGA BUT FACED ACCESS BARRIERS. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE AND RESEARCH INCLUDE INCREASING KNOWLEDGE ABOUT YOGA BENEFITS AND ADDRESSING PHYSICAL HEALTH AND LOGISTICAL BARRIERS TO ENHANCE ACCESS TO YOGA FOR OLDER VETERANS. 2021 14 2643 32 YOGA FOR WOMEN WITH METASTATIC BREAST CANCER: RESULTS FROM A PILOT STUDY. METASTATIC BREAST CANCER (MBC) REMAINS A TERMINAL ILLNESS FOR WHICH MAJOR TREATMENT ADVANCES ARE SLOW TO APPEAR, AND HENCE IT IS CRUCIAL THAT EFFECTIVE PALLIATIVE INTERVENTIONS BE DEVELOPED TO REDUCE THE CANCER-RELATED SYMPTOMS OF WOMEN WITH THIS CONDITION DURING THE REMAINING YEARS OF THEIR LIVES. THIS PILOT/FEASIBILITY STUDY EXAMINED A NOVEL, YOGA-BASED PALLIATIVE INTERVENTION, THE YOGA OF AWARENESS PROGRAM, IN A SAMPLE OF WOMEN WITH MBC. THE EIGHT-WEEK PROTOCOL INCLUDED GENTLE YOGA POSTURES, BREATHING EXERCISES, MEDITATION, DIDACTIC PRESENTATIONS, AND GROUP INTERCHANGE. OUTCOME WAS ASSESSED USING DAILY MEASURES OF PAIN, FATIGUE, DISTRESS, INVIGORATION, ACCEPTANCE, AND RELAXATION DURING TWO PREINTERVENTION WEEKS AND THE FINAL TWO WEEKS OF THE INTERVENTION. THIRTEEN WOMEN COMPLETED THE INTERVENTION (MEAN AGE=59; MEAN TIME SINCE DIAGNOSIS=7 YEARS; TWO AFRICAN AMERICAN, 11 CAUCASIAN). DURING THE STUDY, FOUR PARTICIPANTS HAD CANCER RECURRENCES, AND THE PHYSICAL CONDITION OF SEVERAL OTHERS DETERIORATED NOTICEABLY. DESPITE LOW STATISTICAL POWER, PRE-TO-POST MULTILEVEL OUTCOMES ANALYSES SHOWED SIGNIFICANT INCREASES IN INVIGORATION AND ACCEPTANCE. LAGGED ANALYSES OF LENGTH OF HOME YOGA PRACTICE (CONTROLLING FOR INDIVIDUAL MEAN PRACTICE TIME AND OUTCOME LEVELS ON THE LAGGED DAYS) SHOWED THAT ON THE DAY AFTER A DAY DURING WHICH WOMEN PRACTICED MORE, THEY EXPERIENCED SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER LEVELS OF PAIN AND FATIGUE, AND HIGHER LEVELS OF INVIGORATION, ACCEPTANCE, AND RELAXATION. THESE FINDINGS SUPPORT THE NEED FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION OF THE EFFECTS OF THE YOGA OF AWARENESS PROGRAM IN WOMEN WITH MBC. 2007 15 2641 39 YOGA FOR WARRIORS: AN INTERVENTION FOR VETERANS WITH COMORBID CHRONIC PAIN AND PTSD. OBJECTIVE: COMORBID CHRONIC PAIN AND POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD) IS COMMON IN VETERANS; THIS COMORBIDITY IS ASSOCIATED WITH INCREASED SEVERITY AND POORER PROGNOSIS WHEN COMPARED TO EACH OUTCOME ALONE. YOGA HAS BEEN SHOWN TO BE EFFECTIVE FOR CHRONIC PAIN AND PROMISING FOR PTSD, BUT YOGA FOR COMORBID PAIN AND PTSD HAS NOT BEEN EXAMINED. THIS ARTICLE OFFERS EMPIRICAL SUPPORT FOR A YOGA INTERVENTION FOR COMORBID CHRONIC PAIN AND PTSD IN A VETERAN POPULATION. METHOD: RESULTS ARE PRESENTED FROM A 4-YEAR PILOT YOGA INTERVENTION FOR COMORBID CHRONIC PAIN AND PTSD AT A LARGE, URBAN VETERANS AFFAIRS MEDICAL CENTER. BASED ON THE FEAR AVOIDANCE MODEL OF PAIN, THE INTERVENTION USED A CROSS-SECTIONAL, OPEN-TRIAL DESIGN WITH PRE- AND POSTMEASURES. T TEST ANALYSES WERE CONDUCTED ON PROGRAM COMPLETERS (N = 49; OUT OF 87 INITIALLY ENROLLED, 44% ATTRITION RATE), WHO WERE PRIMARILY AFRICAN AMERICAN (69%) AND MALE (61%) AND HAD A MEAN AGE OF 51.41 YEARS (SD = 11.32). RESULTS: RESULTS INDICATED TREND-LEVEL REDUCTIONS IN OVERALL PTSD SYMPTOMS, AS MEASURED BY THE PTSD CHECKLIST FOR DSM-5 (P = .02, D = 0.38) AND IN SYMPTOM CLUSTER SCORES OF NEGATIVE ALTERATIONS OF COGNITIONS AND MOOD (P = .03, D = 0.36) AND AROUSAL AND REACTIVITY (P = .03, D = 0.35). VETERANS REPORTED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN ABILITY TO PARTICIPATE IN SOCIAL ACTIVITIES (P < .001, D = 0.44) AND SIGNIFICANT REDUCTIONS IN KINESIOPHOBIA (FEAR OF MOVEMENT OR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY; P < .001, D = 0.85). ON A SATISFACTION MEASURE WITH A RANGE OF 1 (QUITE DISSATISFIED) TO 4 (EXTREMELY SATISFIED), THE MEAN RATING WAS 3.74 (SD = 0.33). CONCLUSION: YOGA IS A FEASIBLE AND EFFECTIVE INTERVENTION FOR VETERANS WITH COMORBID CHRONIC PAIN AND PTSD. (PSYCINFO DATABASE RECORD (C) 2020 APA, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED). 2020 16 2734 29 YOGA PARTICIPATION ASSOCIATED WITH CHANGES IN DIETARY PATTERNS AND STRESS: A PILOT STUDY IN STRESSED ADULTS WITH POOR DIET. BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: STRESS CONTRIBUTES TO DIETARY PATTERNS THAT IMPEDE HEALTH. YOGA IS AN INTEGRATIVE STRESS MANAGEMENT APPROACH ASSOCIATED WITH IMPROVED DIETARY PATTERNS IN BURGEONING RESEARCH. YET, NO RESEARCH HAS EXAMINED CHANGE IN DIETARY PATTERNS, BODY MASS INDEX (BMI), AND STRESS DURING A YOGA INTERVENTION AMONG STRESSED ADULTS WITH POOR DIET. MATERIALS AND METHODS: OBJECTIVELY-MEASURED BMI AND A BATTERY OF SELF-REPORT QUESTIONNAIRES WERE COLLECTED AT FOUR TIME POINTS DURING AND FOLLOWING A 12-WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION (N = 78, 71% WOMEN, MEAN BMI = 25.69 KG/M(2)+/-4.59) - PRE-TREATMENT (T1), MID-TREATMENT (6 WEEKS; T2), POST-TREATMENT (12 WEEKS; T3), AND AT 3-MONTH FOLLOW-UP (24 WEEKS; T4). RESULTS: T1 TO T3 FRUIT AND VEGETABLE INTAKE, BMI, AND STRESS SIGNIFICANTLY DECLINED IN THE OVERALL SAMPLE. REDUCTION IN VEGETABLE INTAKE WAS NO LONGER SIGNIFICANT AFTER ACCOUNTING FOR REDUCTIONS IN CALORIC INTAKE, AND REDUCTION IN CALORIC INTAKE REMAINED SIGNIFICANT AFTER ACCOUNTING FOR REDUCTIONS IN STRESS. CONCLUSION: FINDINGS MAY BE INTERPRETED AS YOGA EITHER ENCOURAGING OR ADVERSELY IMPACTING HEALTHY DIETARY PATTERNS (I.E., MINIMIZING LIKELIHOOD OF FUTURE WEIGHT GAIN VS. DECREASING VEGETABLE INTAKE AND OVERALL CALORIC INTAKE AMONG INDIVIDUALS WHO MAY NOT NEED TO LOSE WEIGHT, RESPECTIVELY). CONTINUED RESEARCH IS WARRANTED, UTILIZING CAUSAL DESIGNS. 2021 17 1881 24 REDUCED HYPOXIC VENTILATORY RESPONSE WITH PRESERVED BLOOD OXYGENATION IN YOGA TRAINEES AND HIMALAYAN BUDDHIST MONKS AT ALTITUDE: EVIDENCE OF A DIFFERENT ADAPTIVE STRATEGY? YOGA INDUCES LONG-TERM CHANGES IN RESPIRATORY FUNCTION AND CONTROL. WE TESTED WHETHER IT REPRESENTS A SUCCESSFUL STRATEGY FOR HIGH-ALTITUDE ADAPTATION. WE COMPARED VENTILATORY, CARDIOVASCULAR AND HEMATOLOGICAL PARAMETERS IN: 12 CAUCASIAN YOGA TRAINEES AND 12 CONTROL SEA-LEVEL RESIDENTS, AT BASELINE AND AFTER 2-WEEK EXPOSURE TO HIGH ALTITUDE (PYRAMID LABORATORY, NEPAL, 5,050 M), 38 ACTIVE LIFESTYLE HIGH-ALTITUDE NATIVES (SHERPAS) AND 13 CONTEMPLATIVE LIFESTYLE HIGH-ALTITUDE NATIVES WITH PRACTICE OF YOGA-LIKE RESPIRATORY EXERCISES (BUDDHIST MONKS) STUDIED AT 5,050 M. AT BASELINE, HYPOXIC VENTILATORY RESPONSE (HVR), RED BLOOD CELL COUNT AND HEMATOCRIT WERE LOWER IN CAUCASIAN YOGA TRAINEES THAN IN CONTROLS. AFTER 14 DAYS AT ALTITUDE, YOGA TRAINEES SHOWED SIMILAR OXYGEN SATURATION, BLOOD PRESSURE, RR INTERVAL COMPARED TO CONTROLS, BUT LOWER HVR (-0.44 +/- 0.08 VS. -0.98 +/- 0.21 L/MIN/M/%SAO(2), P < 0.05), MINUTE VENTILATION (8.3 +/- 0.9 VS. 10.8 +/- 1.6 L/MIN, P < 0.05), BREATHING RATE (INDICATING HIGHER VENTILATORY EFFICIENCY), AND LOWER RED BLOOD CELL COUNT, HEMOGLOBIN, HEMATOCRIT, ALBUMIN, ERYTHROPOIETIN AND SOLUBLE TRANSFERRIN RECEPTORS. HYPOXIC VENTILATORY RESPONSE IN MONKS WAS LOWER THAN IN SHERPAS (-0.23 +/- 0.05 VS. -0.63 +/- 0.09 L/MIN/M/%SAO(2), P < 0.05); VALUES WERE SIMILAR TO BASELINE DATA OF YOGA TRAINEES AND CAUCASIAN CONTROLS, RESPECTIVELY. RED BLOOD CELL COUNT AND HEMATOCRIT WERE LOWER IN MONKS AS COMPARED TO SHERPAS. IN CONCLUSION, CAUCASIAN SUBJECTS PRACTICING YOGA MAINTAIN A SATISFACTORY OXYGEN TRANSPORT AT HIGH ALTITUDE, WITH MINIMAL INCREASE IN VENTILATION AND WITH REDUCED HEMATOLOGICAL CHANGES, RESEMBLING HIMALAYAN NATIVES. RESPIRATORY ADAPTATIONS INDUCED BY THE PRACTICE OF YOGA MAY REPRESENT AN EFFICIENT STRATEGY TO COPE WITH ALTITUDE-INDUCED HYPOXIA. 2007 18 575 31 DEMOGRAPHIC, HEALTH BEHAVIOR, AND CARDIOMETABOLIC RISK FACTOR PROFILE IN YOGA AND NON-YOGA PARTICIPANTS: NHANES 1999-2006. OBJECTIVE: TO EXAMINE AND COMPARE THE DEMOGRAPHIC, HEALTH BEHAVIOR, AND CARDIOMETABOLIC RISK FACTOR CHARACTERISTICS OF PARTICIPANTS WHO REPORT 1) PARTICIPATING IN YOGA, 2) NOT PARTICIPATING YOGA, OR 3) ARE INACTIVE, USING A NATIONALLY REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE OF U.S. ADULTS. DESIGN: STUDY PARTICIPANTS WERE FROM THE 1999-2006 NATIONAL HEALTH AND NUTRITION EXAMINATION SURVEY (NHANES) WHO SELF-REPORTED PARTICIPATION IN YOGA (N = 74), NO-YOGA (N = 3,753) OR WERE INACTIVE (N = 1,285). PARTICIPANTS IN THE NO-YOGA GROUP DID ENGAGE IN OTHER TYPES OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, WHILE THE INACTIVE GROUP REPORTED NO ACTIVITY DURING THE SURVEY PERIOD. RESULTS: YOGA PARTICIPANTS WERE PRIMARILY FEMALE (80.7%), COLLEGE EDUCATED (51.9%), MOSTLY NON-SMOKERS (46.9%), AND REPORTED MODERATE ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION (72.1%). YOGA PARTICIPANTS WERE FOUND TO BE SIGNIFICANTLY LESS LIKELY TO HAVE AN ELEVATED WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE (OR = 0.40, P < 0.01; OR = 0.30, P < 0.01), AND A LOW HDL (OR = 0.43, P = 0.03; OR = 0.34, P < 0.05) COMPARED TO BOTH NON-YOGA PARTICIPANTS AND INACTIVE INDIVIDUALS, RESPECTIVELY. YOGA PARTICIPANTS WERE 61% LESS LIKELY TO HAVE ELEVATED BLOOD GLUCOSE COMPARED TO NON-YOGA PARTICIPANTS (OR = 0.39, P < 0.05). COMPARED TO INACTIVE INDIVIDUALS, YOGA PARTICIPANTS WERE 52% (OR = 0.48, P < 0.05) AND 66% (OR = 0.34, P < 0.05) LESS LIKELY HAVE AN ELEVATED BODY MASS INDEX AND HAVE ELEVATED TRIGLYCERIDE LEVELS, RESPECTIVELY. CONCLUSIONS: GIVEN THE EMERGENCE OF YOGA AS A COMMON FORM OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, IT IS IMPERATIVE TO UNDERSTAND THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THOSE WHO PARTICIPATE IN YOGA TO FURTHER UNDERSTAND ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH CARDIOVASCULAR RISK. THIS STUDY WAS ONE OF THE FIRST TO USE NATIONALLY-REPRESENTATIVE DATA AND OBJECTIVELY MEASURED CARDIOMETABOLIC VARIABLES. KEY WORDS: COMPLEMENTARY MEDICINE, EPIDEMIOLOGY, SURVEY, POPULATION, PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE. 2019 19 1389 26 IMPACT OF SOMATIC YOGA AND MEDITATION ON FALL RISK, FUNCTION, AND QUALITY OF LIFE FOR CHEMOTHERAPY-INDUCED PERIPHERAL NEUROPATHY SYNDROME IN CANCER SURVIVORS. OBJECTIVE: CHEMOTHERAPY-INDUCED PERIPHERAL NEUROPATHY (CIPN) SYNDROME CAUSES SIGNIFICANT PAIN AS AN ADVERSE EFFECT OF TREATMENT, WITH FEW NONPHARMACOLOGICAL INTERVENTIONS TESTED. A SOMATIC YOGA AND MEDITATION (SYM) INTERVENTION ON FUNCTIONAL OUTCOMES AND QUALITY OF LIFE (QOL) WAS INVESTIGATED. DESIGN AND METHODS: INDIVIDUALS DIAGNOSED WITH CIPN WERE ENROLLED IN AN OPEN-LABEL, SINGLE-ARM, MIXED-METHODS FEASIBILITY TRIAL. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: IN AN OUTPATIENT REHABILITATION CENTER, TEN PARTICIPANTS WITH MEDIAN AGE 64.4 YEARS (47-81) ATTENDED 61% OF THE SESSIONS WITH NO ADVERSE EVENTS. INTERVENTION: SYM TWICE A WEEK FOR 8 WEEKS FOR 1.5 HOURS, WITH HOME PROGRAM AND JOURNALING. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: PRIMARY FUNCTIONAL OUTCOMES INCLUDED SIT AND REACH (SR), FUNCTIONAL REACH (FR), AND TIMED UP AND GO (TUG). SELF-REPORTED PATIENT NEUROTOXICITY QUESTIONNAIRE (PNQ) AND FUNCTIONAL ASSESSMENT OF CANCER THERAPY-NEUROTOXICITY (FACT-GOG-NTX) WERE SECONDARY CIPN OUTCOMES. BIOMARKERS INCLUDED SALIVARY CORTISOL (STRESS) AND BIOESTHESIOMETER (VIBRATION). RESULTS: QUANTITATIVE FINDINGS. SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS WERE FOUND IN FLEXIBILITY (SR; P = .006); BALANCE (FR; P = .001) AND FALL RISK (TUG; P = .004). PNQ IMPROVED SIGNIFICANTLY ( P = .003) WITH OTHER MEASURES IMPROVING NON-SIGNIFICANTLY. QUALITATIVE FINDINGS. FIVE THEMES EMERGED: (1) VACILLATION OF CIPN PAIN PERCEPTION OVER TIME; (2) TRANSFERABILITY OF SKILLS TO DAILY ACTIVITIES; (3) IMPROVEMENT IN PHYSICAL FUNCTION; (4) PERCEIVED RELAXATION AS AN EFFECT OF SYM; AND (5) GROUP ENGAGEMENT PROVIDED A SOCIAL CONTEXT FOR NOT FEELING ISOLATED WITH CIPN. CONCLUSION: PRELIMINARY DATA SUGGEST SYM MAY IMPROVE QOL, FLEXIBILITY, AND BALANCE IN CANCER SURVIVORS WITH CIPN, WITH A FULLY POWERED RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL INDICATED. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT03786055. 2019 20 1622 23 MINDFULNESS AND LEVELS OF STRESS: A COMPARISON OF BEGINNER AND ADVANCED HATHA YOGA PRACTITIONERS. THE PRESENT STUDY WAS DESIGNED TO EXAMINE MINDFULNESS AND STRESS LEVELS IN BEGINNER AND ADVANCED PRACTITIONERS OF HATHA YOGA. PARTICIPANTS (N = 52) WERE RECRUITED THROUGH HATHA YOGA SCHOOLS LOCAL TO WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS. BEGINNER PRACTITIONERS (N = 24) WERE DESIGNATED AS THOSE WITH UNDER 5 YEARS (M = 3.33) EXPERIENCE AND ADVANCED PRACTITIONERS (N = 28) AS THOSE WITH OVER 5 YEARS (M = 14.53) EXPERIENCE IN HATHA YOGA. THE PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED THE MINDFUL ATTENTION AWARENESS SCALE (MAAS; BROWN AND RYAN 2003) AND THE PERCEIVED STRESS SCALE (PSS; COHEN ET AL. 1983) DIRECTLY PRECEDING A REGULARLY SCHEDULED HATHA YOGA CLASS. BASED ON TWO INDEPENDENT-SAMPLES T-TESTS, ADVANCED PARTICIPANTS SCORED SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER IN MINDFULNESS LEVELS (P < .05) AND SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER IN STRESS LEVELS (P < .05) WHEN COMPARED TO BEGINNER PARTICIPANTS. ADDITIONALLY, A SIGNIFICANT NEGATIVE CORRELATION (R = -.45, P = .00) WAS FOUND BETWEEN MINDFULNESS AND STRESS LEVELS. NO SIGNIFICANT CORRELATIONS WERE FOUND BETWEEN EXPERIENCE LEVELS AND MINDFULNESS AND STRESS LEVELS. HATHA YOGA MAY BE AN EFFECTIVE TECHNIQUE FOR ENHANCING MINDFULNESS AND DECREASING STRESS LEVELS IN PRACTITIONERS. 2011