1 2525 131 YOGA DURING PREGNANCY: THE EFFECTS ON LABOR PAIN AND DELIVERY OUTCOMES (A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL). OBJECTIVE: TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFECTS OF AN ANTENATAL YOGA PROGRAM ON PERCEIVED MATERNAL LABOR PAIN AND DELIVERY OUTCOMES. MATERIAL & METHODS: THIS RANDOMIZED CONTROL TRIAL WAS CONDUCTED WITH SIXTY PRIMIPAROUS WOMEN, AGED 18-35 YEARS OLD, WHO WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO EITHER AN ANTENATAL YOGA PROGRAM OR CONTROL GROUPS. LABOR PAIN AND DISCOMFORT LEVEL OF THE PARTICIPANTS WERE MEASURED USING A VISUAL ANALOGUE SCALE AT CERVICAL DILATATION OF 3-4 C AND AT 2 AND 4 H AFTER THE INITIAL MEASUREMENT. DEMOGRAPHIC AND OBSTETRICAL INFORMATION WERE COLLECTED. THE ANTENATAL YOGA PROGRAM CONSISTED OF A 1-H SUPERVISED YOGA CLASS, THREE TIMES A WEEKLY, STARTING AT 26 WEEKS GESTATION. . RESULTS: PARTICIPANTS IN CONTROL GROUP REPORTED HIGHER PAIN INTENSITY COMPARED TO EXPERIMENTAL GROUP AT 3-4 CM OF DILATATION (P = 0.01) AND AT 2 H AFTER THE FIRST AND THE SECOND MEASUREMENTS (P = 0.000). MOTHERS IN THE ANTENATAL INTERVENTION GROUP THAT COMPLETED THE YOGA CLASS REQUIRED A DECREASED FREQUENCY OF LABOR INDUCTION IN COMPARISON WITH CONTROL GROUP (P = 0.008). IN ADDITION, MODE OF DELIVERY OF THE INTERVENTION GROUP RESULTED IN A LOWER PERCENTAGE OF CESAREAN SECTION THAN CONTROL GROUP (P = 0.002). LASTLY, THE INTERVENTION GROUP EXPERIENCED A SHORTER DURATION OF THE SECOND AND THIRD STAGES OF LABOR. INTERVAL LEVEL DATA WAS ANALYZED BY USING AN INDEPENDENT T-TEST AND CHI-SQUARE. CONCLUSION: YOGA DURING PREGNANCY MAY CONTRIBUTE TO A REDUCTION PAIN OF LABOR AND IMPROVED ADEQUACY OF CHILDBIRTH. 2017 2 2897 35 [EFFECTS OF A YOGA-FOCUSED PRENATAL PROGRAM ON STRESS, ANXIETY, SELF CONFIDENCE AND LABOR PAIN IN PREGNANT WOMEN WITH IN VITRO FERTILIZATION TREATMENT]. PURPOSE: THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO IDENTIFY THE EFFECTS OF A YOGA-FOCUSED PRENATAL PROGRAM ON THE STRESS, ANXIETY, SELF CONFIDENCE AND LABOR PAIN OF PREGNANT WOMEN WHO HAD IN VITRO FERTILIZATION (IVF) TREATMENT. METHODS: A QUASI EXPERIMENTAL STUDY WITH A NON-EQUIVALENT CONTROL GROUP PRETEST-POSTTEST DESIGN WAS USED. THE DATA COLLECTION PERIOD AND MEDITATION PROGRAM WERE BETWEEN JANUARY 9 AND AUGUST 31, 2009. FORTY-SIX WOMEN WHO WERE PREGNANT FOLLOWING IVF, AND WERE BETWEEN 12-20 WEEKS GESTATION, PARTICIPATED IN THE STUDY (23 EXPERIMENTAL GROUP, 23 CONTROL GROUP). DATA WERE ANALYZED USING CHI-SQUARE TEST, MANN-WHITNEY U TEST, ANCOVA, AND CRONBACH'S ALPHA COEFFICIENTS WITH THE SPSS 12.0 FOR WINDOWS PROGRAM. RESULTS: ALTHOUGH THE SAMPLE SIZE WAS LIMITED, WOMEN WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE PROGRAM SHOWED STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN STRESS, ANXIETY, LABOR PAIN, AND LABOR CONFIDENCE FOR WOMEN PREGNANT AFTER IVF. CONCLUSION: THE RESULT INDICATE THAT THIS 12-WEEK YOGA-FOCUSED EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM CAN BE UTILIZED FOR WOMEN PREGNANT FOLLOWING IVF TO REDUCE THEIR STRESS, ANXIETY, AND LABOR PAIN, AND TO INCREASE DELIVERY CONFIDENCE. IT IS SUGGESTED THAT THE YOGA-FOCUSED EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM BE OFFERED TO EVERY PREGNANT WOMAN. 2012 3 2088 69 THE EFFECT OF PRACTICING YOGA DURING PREGNANCY ON LABOR STAGES LENGTH, ANXIETY AND PAIN: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. BACKGROUND: ANXIETY AND FEAR OF LABOR PAIN HAS LED TO ELEVATED CESAREAN SECTION RATE IN SOME COUNTRIES. THIS STUDY WAS CONDUCTED TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFECT OF YOGA IN PREGNANCY ON ANXIETY, LABOR PAIN AND LENGTH OF LABOR STAGES. METHODS: THIS CLINICAL TRIAL STUDY WAS PERFORMED ON 84 NULLIPAROUS WOMEN WHO WERE AT LEAST 18 YEARS OLD AND WERE RANDOMLY DIVIDED INTO TWO GROUPS OF YOGA AND CONTROL GROUPS. PREGNANCY YOGA PROGRAM CONSISTING OF 6 60-MIN TRAINING SESSIONS WAS STARTED EVERY 2 WEEKS FROM WEEK 26 OF PREGNANCY AND CONTINUED UNTIL 37 WEEKS OF GESTATION. ANXIETY SEVERITY AT MATERNAL ADMISSION TO LABOR WAS MEASURED BY THE SPIELBERGERS STATE-TRAIT ANXIETY INVENTORY, AND LABOR PAIN WAS MEASURED BY VISUAL ANALOGUE SCALE (VAS) AT DILATATION (4-5 CM) AND 2 H AFTER THE FIRST MEASUREMENT. DATA WERE ANALYZED USING CHI-SQUARE AND T-TEST. RESULTS: INTERVENTION GROUP REPORTED LESS PAIN AT DILATATION (4-5 CM) (P=0.001) AND 2 H AFTER THE FIRST MEASUREMENT (P=0.001) THAN THE CONTROL GROUP. STAT ANXIETY WAS ALSO LOWER IN INTERVENTION GROUP THAN THE CONTROL GROUP (P=0.003) AT THE ENTRANCE TO LABOR ROOM. SUBJECTS IN THE CONTROL GROUP REQUIRED MORE INDUCTION COMPARED TO INTERVENTION GROUP (P=0.003). WOMEN IN INTERVENTION GROUP EXPERIENCED SHORTER DURATION OF THE FIRST PHASE OF THE LABOR THAN THE CONTROL GROUP (P=0.002). ALSO, THE TOTAL DURATION OF TWO STAGES OF LABOR WAS SHORTER IN INTERVENTION GROUP THAN THE CONTROL GROUP (P=0.003). CONCLUSIONS: PRACTICING YOGA DURING PREGNANCY MAY REDUCE WOMEN'S ANXIETY DURING LABOR; SHORTEN LABOR STAGES, AND LOWER LABOR PAIN. 2020 4 362 26 ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN YOGA PRACTICE AND JOINT PROBLEMS: A CROSS-SECTIONAL SURVEY AMONG 9151 AUSTRALIAN WOMEN. YOGA EXERCISES HAVE BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH JOINT PROBLEMS RECENTLY, INDICATING THAT YOGA PRACTICE MIGHT BE POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS FOR JOINT HEALTH. THIS STUDY AIMED TO ANALYSE WHETHER REGULAR YOGA PRACTICE IS ASSOCIATED WITH THE FREQUENCY OF JOINT PROBLEMS IN UPPER MIDDLE-AGED AUSTRALIAN WOMEN. WOMEN AGED 62-67 YEARS FROM THE AUSTRALIAN LONGITUDINAL STUDY ON WOMEN'S HEALTH (ALSWH) WERE QUESTIONED IN 2013 WHETHER THEY EXPERIENCED REGULAR JOINT PAIN OR PROBLEMS IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS AND WHETHER THEY REGULARLY PRACTICED YOGA. ASSOCIATIONS OF JOINT PROBLEMS WITH YOGA PRACTICE WERE ANALYSED USING CHI-SQUARED TESTS AND MULTIPLE LOGISTIC REGRESSION MODELLING. OF 9151 WOMEN, 29.8% REPORTED REGULAR PROBLEMS WITH STIFF OR PAINFUL JOINTS, AND 15.2, 11.9, 18.1 AND 15.9% REPORTED REGULAR PROBLEMS WITH SHOULDERS, HIPS, KNEES AND FEET, RESPECTIVELY, IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS. YOGA WAS PRACTICED SOMETIMES BY 10.1% AND OFTEN BY 8.4% OF WOMEN. PRACTICING YOGA WAS NOT ASSOCIATED WITH UPPER OR LOWER LIMB JOINT PROBLEMS. NO ASSOCIATION BETWEEN YOGA PRACTICE AND JOINT PROBLEMS HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED. FURTHER STUDIES ARE WARRANTED FOR CONCLUSIVE JUDGEMENT OF BENEFITS AND SAFETY OF YOGA IN RELATION TO JOINT PROBLEMS. 2017 5 1423 33 IMPROVEMENT IN NEUROCOGNITIVE FUNCTIONS AND SERUM BRAIN-DERIVED NEUROTROPHIC FACTOR LEVELS IN PATIENTS WITH DEPRESSION TREATED WITH ANTIDEPRESSANTS AND YOGA. CONTEXT AND AIMS: IMPAIRMENT IN COGNITION IS WELL-KNOWN IN PATIENTS WITH MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER. THIS STUDY EXAMINED THE EFFECT OF YOGA THERAPY WITH OR WITHOUT ANTIDEPRESSANTS AND ANTIDEPRESSANTS ALONE ON CERTAIN NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS IN PATIENTS WITH DEPRESSION. CORRELATION BETWEEN CHANGES IN NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL TEST PERFORMANCE AND SERUM BRAIN-DERIVED NEUROTROPHIC FACTOR (BDNF) LEVELS WAS ALSO EXPLORED. MATERIALS AND METHODS: ANTIDEPRESSANT-NAIVE/ANTIDEPRESSANT-FREE OUTPATIENTS WITH DEPRESSION RECEIVED ANTIDEPRESSANT MEDICATION ALONE (N = 23) OR YOGA THERAPY WITH (N = 26) OR WITHOUT (N = 16) ANTIDEPRESSANTS. DEPRESSION WAS ASSESSED USING THE HAMILTON DEPRESSION RATING SCALE. NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL TESTS INCLUDED DIGIT-SPAN FORWARD AND BACKWARD, REY AUDITORY VERBAL LEARNING TEST, AND TRAIL MAKING TESTS (TMT-A AND B). THESE TESTS WERE ADMINISTERED BEFORE AND 3 MONTHS AFTER THE TREATMENT IN PATIENTS, AND ONCE IN HEALTHY COMPARISON SUBJECTS (N = 19). STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: BASELINE DIFFERENCES WERE ANALYZED USING INDEPENDENT SAMPLE T-TEST, CHI-SQUARE, AND ONE-WAY ANOVA. PAIRED T-TEST WAS USED TO ANALYZE THE CHANGE FROM BASELINE TO FOLLOW-UP. PEARSON'S CORRELATION WAS USED TO EXPLORE THE ASSOCIATION OF CHANGE BETWEEN 2 VARIABLES. RESULTS: PATIENTS HAD IMPAIRED PERFORMANCE ON MOST NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL TESTS. AFTER 3 MONTHS, THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT - PATIENTS' PERFORMANCE WAS COMPARABLE TO THAT OF HEALTHY CONTROLS ON MAJORITY OF THE TESTS. SIGNIFICANT INVERSE CORRELATION WAS OBSERVED BETWEEN INCREASE IN BDNF LEVELS AND IMPROVEMENT IN TMT "A" DURATION IN YOGA-ALONE GROUP (R = -0.647; P = 0.009). CONCLUSIONS: TO CONCLUDE THAT, YOGA THERAPY, ALONE OR IN COMBINATION WITH MEDICATIONS, IS ASSOCIATED WITH IMPROVED NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS AND NEUROPLASTIC EFFECTS IN PATIENTS WITH DEPRESSION. 2018 6 2928 31 [YOGA IN GERMANY - RESULTS OF A NATIONALLY REPRESENTATIVE SURVEY]. BACKGROUND: YOGA IS INCREASINGLY USED AS A THERAPEUTIC AND PREVENTIVE METHOD WORLDWIDE. THE AIM OF THIS NATIONALLY REPRESENTATIVE SURVEY WAS TO ASSESS PREVALENCE AND PATTERNS OF YOGA PRACTICE IN GERMANY. METHODS: BETWEEN AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER 2014, A NATIONALLY REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE OF 2,041 INDIVIDUALS OF AT LEAST 14 YEARS OF AGE WAS INTERVIEWED REGARDING ACTUAL AND PRIOR YOGA PRACTICE. DIFFERENCES BETWEEN SOCIOECONOMIC SUBGROUPS WERE ANALYZED USING CHI-SQUARED TESTS. RESULTS: LIFETIME PREVALENCE OF YOGA PRACTICE WAS 15.1%, POINT PREVALENCE 3.3%. HIGHER PREVALENCE WAS ASSOCIATED WITH FEMALE GENDER (P < 0.001), HIGHER EDUCATION (P < 0.001), EMPLOYMENT (P = 0.047), AND LIVING IN A MAJOR CITY (P < 0.001). MEAN DURATION OF YOGA PRACTICE WAS 48.2 MONTHS; 61.7% PRACTICED AT LEAST ONCE WEEKLY. THE MAIN REASONS FOR YOGA PRACTICE WERE IMPROVED PHYSICAL (62.8%) AND MENTAL WELL-BEING (56.9%) AS WELL AS PHYSICAL (54.4%) AND MENTAL CAPACITY (50.0%). POSITIVE CHANGES DUE TO YOGA WERE REPORTED BY 89.7% OF PRACTITIONERS, MAINLY INCREASED INNER BALANCE (58.8%). ANOTHER 16.1% OF THOSE WHO WERE NOT CURRENTLY PRACTICING COULD IMAGINE PRACTICING YOGA IN THE NEXT 12 MONTHS. CONCLUSION: AN ESTIMATED 15.7 MILLION GERMANS ARE CURRENTLY PRACTICING YOGA OR ARE AT LEAST INTERESTED IN STARTING TO PRACTICE, MOST COMMONLY WOMEN, METROPOLITANS, AND THOSE WITH A HIGHER EDUCATION AS WELL AS EMPLOYED PERSONS. ALMOST 90% PRACTITIONERS REPORT POSITIVE CHANGES DUE TO THEIR YOGA PRACTICE. 2015 7 963 48 EFFECTS OF A YOGA PROGRAM ON MENSTRUAL CRAMPS AND MENSTRUAL DISTRESS IN UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS WITH PRIMARY DYSMENORRHEA: A SINGLE-BLIND, RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. OBJECTIVES: TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFECTS OF A YOGA PROGRAM ON MENSTRUAL CRAMPS AND MENSTRUAL DISTRESS IN UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS WITH PRIMARY DYSMENORRHEA. DESIGN: SINGLE-BLIND, RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. PARTICIPANTS: 40 RANDOMLY SELECTED UNDERGRADUATE NURSING STUDENTS, WITH 20 EACH ASSIGNED TO AN EXERCISE OR A CONTROL GROUP. INTERVENTION: THE PARTICIPANTS ENGAGED IN A YOGA PROGRAM FOR 60 MINUTES ONCE A WEEK FOR 12 WEEKS. THE PROGRAM CONSISTED OF PHYSICAL EXERCISE COMBINED WITH RELAXATION AND MEDITATION. OUTCOME MEASURES: MENSTRUAL CRAMPS AND MENSTRUAL DISTRESS LEVELS WERE MEASURED BY USING THE VISUAL ANALOGUE SCALE FOR PAIN AND THE MENSTRUAL DISTRESS QUESTIONNAIRE, RESPECTIVELY. DATA WERE ANALYZED BY USING THE KOLMOGOROV-SMIRNOV AND SHAPIRO-WILK NORMALITY TESTS, T-TEST, CHI-SQUARE TEST, LOGISTIC REGRESSION ANALYSIS, AND MULTIVARIATE ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE (SPSS PROGRAM). RESULTS: MENSTRUAL PAIN INTENSITY (GROUP DIFFERENCE, -0.94; 95% CONFIDENCE INTERVAL [CI], -1.47 TO -0.42; P = 0.001) AND MENSTRUAL DISTRESS (GROUP DIFFERENCE, -1.13; 95% CI, -1.43 TO -0.82; P < 0.0001) SCORES DECREASED SIGNIFICANTLY IN THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP COMPARED WITH THE CONTROL GROUP. CONCLUSIONS: THESE FINDINGS INDICATE THAT YOGA INTERVENTIONS MAY REDUCE MENSTRUAL CRAMPS AND MENSTRUAL DISTRESS IN FEMALE UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS WITH PRIMARY DYSMENORRHEA. 2016 8 67 29 A CROSS--SECTIONAL STUDY OF MENTAL WELLBEING WITH PRACTICE OF YOGA AND MEDITATION DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC. BACKGROUND: COVID-19 PANDEMIC HAS RESULTED IN INCREASED MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES. YOGA AND MEDITATION CAN HELP IN ALLEVIATING MENTAL STRESS AND IMPROVING PSYCHOLOGICAL WELLBEING. METHODS: IT WAS A COMMUNITY-BASED ONLINE CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY INVOLVING ADULT GENERAL POPULATION. DATA COLLECTION WAS DONE BY USING A GOOGLE FORM LINK THAT WAS CIRCULATED VIA ONLINE PLATFORMS. THE DATA WERE ANALYZED USING MICROSOFT EXCEL AND SPSS VERSION 22. QUALITATIVE DATA WERE EXPRESSED IN PROPORTIONS OR PERCENTAGES AND QUANTITATIVE DATA WERE EXPRESSED IN MEAN AND STANDARD DEVIATION. CHI-SQUARE TEST WAS USED TO CHECK THE ASSOCIATION OF VARIOUS FACTORS AND MENTAL WELLBEING. RESULTS: A TOTAL OF 649 (58.4%) SUBJECTS HAD NORMAL MENTAL WELLBEING SCORE, WHEREAS 279 (25.1%) WERE FOUND TO BE AT RISK OF DEVELOPING PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS AND 184 (16.5%) WERE AT RISK OF DEPRESSION. A SIGNIFICANTLY LARGER PROPORTION OF SUBJECTS WITH NORMAL MENTAL WELLBEING WAS FOUND WITH THE PRACTICE OF BOTH YOGA AND MEDITATION (66.2%), FOLLOWED BY PRACTICE OF ONLY MEDITATION (62.1%), ONLY YOGA (59.9%), AND NONE OF THEM (50.6%). A SIMILAR ASSOCIATION OF YOGA AND MEDITATION PRACTICES WAS FOUND WITH THE CHANGE IN EATING, SLEEPING PATTERNS, AND FAMILY RELATIONS. THE FREQUENCY OF PRACTICE WAS POSITIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH A HIGHER LEVEL OF MENTAL WELLBEING IN THE CASE OF BOTH YOGA AS WELL AS MEDITATION, WITH DAILY PRACTICE HAVING THE HIGHEST WELLBEING SCORES. CONCLUSION: THE PRACTICE OF YOGA AND MEDITATION, PREFERABLY BOTH OF THEM, IS ASSOCIATED WITH HIGHER LEVEL OF MENTAL WELLBEING DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. 2021 9 1344 30 HYDRATION AND HOT YOGA: ENCOURAGEMENT, BEHAVIORS, AND OUTCOMES. CONTEXT: CURRENTLY, THE LITERATURE ON HOT YOGA IS LACKING, AND THERE IS STILL MUCH TO UNDERSTAND REGARDING THE SAFETY OF THESE PRACTICES. HOWEVER, ONE POINT OF SAFETY OFTEN EMPHASIZED IS HYDRATION DURING THE PRACTICE OF HOT YOGA. AIM: THE AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO EXAMINE HYDRATION ENCOURAGEMENT BY HOT YOGA INSTRUCTORS AND HYDRATION BEHAVIORS AND RELATED OUTCOMES BY HOT YOGA PARTICIPANTS. METHODS: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY (N = 700) COLLECTED SELF-REPORT DATA ON DEMOGRAPHICS, TYPES AND FREQUENCY OF YOGA PRACTICED, HYDRATION BEHAVIORS, AND SELF-REPORT MEASURES OF ADVERSE OUTCOMES EXPERIENCED BY PARTICIPANTS DURING HOT YOGA. ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN HYDRATION ENCOURAGEMENT, PROTECTIVE BEHAVIORS, AND ADVERSE OUTCOMES WERE ANALYZED THROUGH CHI-SQUARE TESTS. RESULTS: EVERY PROTECTIVE HYDRATION BEHAVIOR WAS SIGNIFICANTLY ASSOCIATED WITH INSTRUCTOR ENCOURAGEMENT (P < 0.05). HYDRATION BEFORE OR DURING HOT YOGA PARTICIPATION WAS ASSOCIATED WITH A LOWER OCCURRENCE OF DEHYDRATION SYMPTOMS (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: HOT YOGA INSTRUCTORS HOLD A KEY ROLE IN ENCOURAGING HYDRATION AND STUDENT SAFETY OUTCOMES. 2017 10 628 22 DIFFERENCES BETWEEN VEGETARIAN AND OMNIVOROUS YOGA PRACTITIONERS-RESULTS OF A NATIONALLY REPRESENTATIVE SURVEY OF US ADULT YOGA PRACTITIONERS. BACKGROUND: TO EXAMINE THE PREVALENCE OF VEGETARIANISM AMONG YOGA PRACTITIONERS, AND TO EXPLORE DIFFERENCES AND SIMILARITIES BETWEEN YOGA PRACTITIONERS WHO ALSO USE VEGETARIAN DIET AND THOSE WHO DO NOT. DESIGN AND SETTING: USING CROSS-SECTIONAL DATA FROM THE 2012 NATIONAL HEALTH INTERVIEW SURVEY (NHIS) (N = 34,525), WEIGHTED FREQUENCIES FOR 12-MONTH PREVALENCE OF VEGETARIAN DIET USE AMONG YOGA PRACTITIONERS WERE ANALYZED. LOGISTIC REGRESSION ANALYSES WERE USED TO ANALYZE SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC AND CLINICAL PREDICTORS OF VEGETARIAN DIET USE. RESULTS: A TOTAL OF 1.7 MILLION US YOGA PRACTITIONERS HAVE USED A VEGETARIAN DIET IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS (8.3%), COMPARED TO 2.7 MILLION NON-YOGA PRACTITIONERS (1.3%). YOGA PRACTITIONERS WHO WERE AGED BETWEEN 30 AND 64 YEARS AS COMPARED TO BEING 29 YEARS OR YOUNGER WERE MORE LIKELY TO HAVE USED A VEGETARIAN DIET IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS; WHILE THOSE BEING IN A RELATIONSHIP (OR = 0.64), OVERWEIGHT (OR = 0.54), SMOKING (OR 0.64) OR HAVING PRIVATE HEALTH INSURANCE (OR = 0.59) WERE LESS LIKELY. VEGETARIAN DIET PRACTITIONERS MORE OFTEN INCLUDED MEDITATION AS PART OF THEIR YOGA PRACTICE AND MORE OFTEN CHOSE YOGA BECAUSE IT HAD A HOLISTIC FOCUS, AND WAS PERCEIVED TO TREAT THE CAUSE AND NOT THE SYMPTOMS OF THEIR HEALTH COMPLAINT. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA PRACTITIONERS FOLLOWING A VEGETARIAN DIET SEEM TO EMBRACE YOGA MORE AS A LIFESTYLE THAN AS A THERAPY. 2018 11 990 39 EFFECTS OF HATHA YOGA ON STRESS IN MIDDLE-AGED WOMEN. BACKGROUND: STRESS IS CONSIDERED A CRUCIAL TRIGGER FOR PHYSICAL AND MENTAL ILLNESS. STRESS REDUCTION IS A KNOWN LONG-TERM BENEFIT OF REGULAR HATHA YOGA PRACTICE. THE EFFICACY OF A SINGLE-SESSION HATHA YOGA CLASS ON STRESS REDUCTION IS NOT CURRENTLY KNOWN. PURPOSE: THIS STUDY INVESTIGATED THE COMPARATIVE EFFECTIVENESS OF A SINGLE 90-MINUTE HATHA YOGA CLASS AND AN 8-WEEK, 90-MINUTE-CLASS-PER-WEEK COURSE. METHODS: WE USED A QUASIEXPERIMENTAL DESIGN AND RECRUITED 63 FEMALE COMMUNITY RESIDENTS IN NEW TAIPEI CITY AGED 40-60 YEARS. PARTICIPANTS WERE RANDOMLY DIVIDED INTO AN EXPERIMENTAL GROUP (N = 30) AND A CONTROL GROUP (N = 33). THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP RECEIVED THE 8-WEEK HATHA YOGA COURSE. THE CONTROL GROUP RECEIVED NO INTERVENTION. THE PERCEIVED STRESS SCALE (PSS) AND HEART RATE VARIABILITY (HRV) ASSESSED STRESS REDUCTION EFFECTIVENESS. CHI-SQUARE, INDEPENDENT T TEST, PAIRED T TEST, AND GENERALIZED ESTIMATING EQUATIONS WERE USED FOR DATA ANALYSIS. RESULTS: AFTER A SINGLE 90-MINUTE CLASS OF HATHA YOGA, EXPERIMENTAL GROUP PSS SCORES WERE SIGNIFICANTLY LESS THAN THOSE OF THE CONTROL GROUP (P = .001). ALTHOUGH EXPERIMENTAL GROUP HRV (LOW-FREQUENCY NORM AND HIGH-FREQUENCY NORM) HAD IMPROVED, THESE CHANGES WERE NOT STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT (P = .059). PSS SCORES FOR THE SINGLE 90-MINUTE CLASS AND 8-WEEK COURSE DID NOT SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFER (P = .157) AND HRV OF STATISTICS IS SIGNIFICANT (P = .005). GENERALIZED ESTIMATING EQUATIONS ANALYZED CHANGES IN THE EFFECTIVENESS OVER TIME OF STRESS REDUCTION (HRV AND PSS) AFTER THE HATHA YOGA INTERVENTION. RESULTS SHOWED THE POSTINTERVENTION HRV AND PSS OF THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP DECREASED SIGNIFICANTLY (P < .001) MORE THAN THE CONTROL GROUP. CONCLUSIONS/IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: OUR FINDINGS SUPPORT THE POSITION THAT REGULAR, LONG-TERM PRACTICE OF HATHA YOGA PROVIDES CLEAR AND SIGNIFICANT HEALTH BENEFITS. PARTICIPATION IN A SINGLE 90-MINUTE HATHA YOGA CLASS CAN SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE PERCEIVED STRESS. DOING HATHA YOGA REGULARLY CAN REDUCE PERCEIVED STRESS EVEN MORE SIGNIFICANTLY. 2013 12 1208 33 EXPLORATION OF LOWER FREQUENCY EEG DYNAMICS AND CORTICAL ALPHA ASYMMETRY IN LONG-TERM RAJYOGA MEDITATORS. BACKGROUND: RAJYOGA MEDITATION IS TAUGHT BY PRAJAPITA BRAHMAKUMARIS WORLD SPIRITUAL UNIVERSITY (BRAHMAKUMARIS) AND HAS BEEN FOLLOWED BY MORE THAN ONE MILLION FOLLOWERS ACROSS THE GLOBE. HOWEVER, RARE STUDIES WERE CONDUCTED ON PHYSIOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF RAJYOGA MEDITATION USING ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAPHY (EEG). BAND POWER AND CORTICAL ASYMMETRY WERE NOT STUDIED WITH RAJYOGA MEDITATORS. AIMS: THIS STUDY AIMS TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFECT OF REGULAR MEDITATION PRACTICE ON EEG BRAIN DYNAMICS IN LOW-FREQUENCY BANDS OF LONG-TERM RAJYOGA MEDITATORS. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: SUBJECTS WERE MATCHED FOR AGE IN BOTH GROUPS. LOWER FREQUENCY EEG BANDS WERE ANALYZED IN RESTING AND DURING MEDITATION. MATERIALS AND METHODS: TWENTY-ONE MALE LONG-TERM MEDITATORS (LTMS) AND SAME NUMBER OF CONTROLS WERE SELECTED TO PARTICIPATE IN STUDY AS PAR INCLUSION CRITERIA. SEMI HIGH-DENSITY EEG WAS RECORDED BEFORE AND DURING MEDITATION IN LTM GROUP AND RESTING IN CONTROL GROUP. THE MAIN OUTCOME OF THE STUDY WAS SPECTRAL POWER OF ALPHA AND THETA BANDS AND CORTICAL (HEMISPHERICAL) ASYMMETRY CALCULATED USING BAND POWER. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: ONE-WAY ANOVA WAS PERFORMED TO FIND THE SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN EEG SPECTRAL PROPERTIES OF GROUPS. PEARSON'S CHI-SQUARE TEST WAS USED TO FIND DIFFERENCE AMONG DEMOGRAPHICS DATA. RESULTS: RESULTS REVEAL HIGH-BAND POWER IN ALPHA AND THETA SPECTRA IN MEDITATORS. CORTICAL ASYMMETRY CALCULATED THROUGH EEG POWER WAS ALSO FOUND TO BE HIGH IN FRONTAL AS WELL AS PARIETAL CHANNELS. HOWEVER, NO CORRELATION WAS SEEN BETWEEN THE EXPERIENCE OF MEDITATION (YEARS, HOURS) PRACTICE AND EEG INDICES. CONCLUSION: OVERALL FINDINGS INDICATE CONTRIBUTION OF SMALLER FREQUENCIES (ALPHA AND THETA) WHILE MAINTAINING MEDITATIVE EXPERIENCE. THIS SUGGESTS A POSITIVE IMPACT OF MEDITATION ON FRONTAL AND PARIETAL AREAS OF BRAIN, INVOLVED IN THE PROCESSES OF REGULATION OF SELECTIVE AND SUSTAINED ATTENTION AS WELL AS PROVIDE EVIDENCE ABOUT THEIR INVOLVEMENT IN EMOTION AND COGNITIVE PROCESSING. 2018 13 1719 37 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 14 627 27 DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN ENROLLING IN SMOKING CESSATION PROGRAMS USING YOGA AS A COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY. THIS STUDY COMPARES THE CHARACTERISTICS OF MEN AND WOMEN, RESPECTIVELY, PARTICIPATING IN TWO RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED PILOT STUDIES WHOSE PRIMARY AIMS WERE TO TEST THE FEASIBILITY OF YOGA AS A COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY FOR SMOKING CESSATION. PARTICIPANTS WERE AGED 18-65, GENERALLY HEALTHY AND WERE DAILY SMOKERS. ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE (ANOVA) AND CHI-SQUARE TESTS EXAMINED GENDER DIFFERENCES IN SMOKING RATE, POTENTIAL TREATMENT MEDIATORS, AND COVARIATES (E.G., SMOKING HISTORY, HEALTH STATUS, WEIGHT CONCERNS, MOOD, AND PRIOR WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS). A TOTAL OF 55 WOMEN AND 38 MEN PARTICIPATED IN THE STUDY. DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN AT ENROLLMENT INCLUDED: WOMEN REPORTED SIGNIFICANTLY GREATER WITHDRAWAL (P<0.005), ANXIETY (P=0.032), AND DEPRESSION (P=0.027) SYMPTOMS THAN MEN. MORE WOMEN THAN MEN (91% VS. 66%) REPORTED HAVING BEEN TOLD BY THEIR DOCTOR TO QUIT SMOKING (P=0.003), HAD AN EXISTING SMOKING-RELATED ILLNESS (33% VS. 13%; P=0.032), AND REPORTED SMOKING FOR WEIGHT CONTROL (15% VS. 0%; P=0.014). RESULTS SHOWED GOOD FEASIBILITY FOR RECRUITING BOTH MEN AND WOMEN INTO A STUDY USING YOGA AS A COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY FOR SMOKING CESSATION. RESULTS ALSO INDICATE THAT INTERVENTIONS MAY NEED TO BE TAILORED TO MEET DIFFERENT NEEDS (E.G., ADDRESSING CO-MORBID DEPRESSION) BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN. 2016 15 382 30 BELIEFS, ATTITUDES AND SELF-USE OF AYURVEDA, YOGA AND NATUROPATHY, UNANI, SIDDHA, AND HOMEOPATHY MEDICINES AMONG SENIOR PHARMACY STUDENTS: AN EXPLORATORY INSIGHT FROM ANDHRA PRADESH, INDIA. OBJECTIVES: TO ASSESS THE BELIEFS, ATTITUDES AND SELF-USE OF AYURVEDA, YOGA AND NATUROPATHY, UNANI, SIDDHA, AND HOMEOPATHY (AYUSH) MEDICINES AMONG SENIOR PHARMACY STUDENTS. METHODOLOGY: THIS WAS A DESCRIPTIVE CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY CONDUCTED AMONG PHARMACY STUDENTS IN FOUR PHARMACY SCHOOLS LOCATED IN ANDHRA PRADESH IN SOUTH INDIA. THIS STUDY WAS CONDUCTED FROM THE AUGUST TO SEPTEMBER 2014. THE STUDY POPULATION INCLUDED ALL PHARMACY STUDENTS ENROLLED IN DOCTOR OF PHARMACY, BACHELOR OF PHARMACY AND DIPLOMA IN PHARMACY PROGRAMS IN STUDIED PHARMACY SCHOOLS. THE PRETESTED AYUSH SURVEY HAD 8 QUESTIONS ON AYUSH RELATED BELIEFS AND 8 QUESTION ON AYUSH RELATED ATTITUDES. THE SURVEY ALSO ASKED PARTICIPANTS ABOUT AYUSH RELATED KNOWLEDGE, FREQUENCY OF USE OF AYUSH AND THE REASON FOR USING AYUSH. THE DATA ANALYSIS WAS PERFORMED USING SPSS VERSION 20. CHI-SQUARE TEST AND MANN-WHITNEY U-TEST WERE EMPLOYED TO STUDY THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN THE INDEPENDENT AND DEPENDENT VARIABLES. RESULTS: A TOTAL OF 428 PHARMACY STUDENTS PARTICIPATED IN THE SURVEY. 32.2% OF THE STUDY POPULATION WAS FEMALES AND 32.5% OF THE POPULATION RESIDED IN RURAL AREAS. MALES WERE MORE LIKELY TO HAVE POSITIVE BELIEFS ABOUT AYUSH WHEN COMPARED TO FEMALES (ODD RATIO [OR] = 4.62, CONFIDENCE INTERVAL [CI] = 2.37-8.99, P < 0.001). SIMILARLY, STUDENTS LIVING IN HOSTELS WERE MORE POSITIVE IN THEIR BELIEFS ABOUT AYUSH COMPARED WITH STUDENTS LIVING AT HOME (OR = 2.14, CI = 1.12-4.07, P < 0.05). STUDENTS LIVING IN HOSTEL ALSO HAD A POSITIVE ATTITUDE ABOUT AYUSH USE (OR = 1.74, CI = 1.03-2.93, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: PHARMACY STUDENTS HELD FAVORABLE ATTITUDE AND BELIEFS ABOUT AYUSH USE. THIS BASELINE SURVEY PROVIDES IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE PHARMACY STUDENT'S PERCEPTION ABOUT AYUSH. FURTHER RESEARCH IS NEEDED TO EXPLORE THE REASONS THAT SHAPE THE PHARMACY STUDENT'S BELIEFS AND ATTITUDES ABOUT AYUSH. 2014 16 688 57 EFFECT OF ANTENATAL EXERCISES, INCLUDING YOGA, ON THE COURSE OF LABOR, DELIVERY AND PREGNANCY: A RETROSPECTIVE STUDY. BACKGROUND: DELIVERING A CHILD IS A VERY STRESSFUL EXPERIENCE FOR WOMEN. PREGNANCY AND LABOR ENTAIL COMPLEX EVENTS THAT ARE UNIQUE TO EACH INDIVIDUAL FEMALE. THE MANAGEMENT OF LABOR PAIN IS OFTEN DONE USING ANALGESICS AND ANESTHESIA, WHICH HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO HAVE SOME SIDE EFFECTS. MORE COMPREHENSIVE DATA ARE NEEDED TO PROVIDE CLINICALLY SIGNIFICANT EVIDENCE FOR CLINICIANS TO CONFIDENTLY PRESCRIBE EXERCISES TO PATIENTS. THIS STUDY WAS DONE TO EVALUATE THE EFFECT OF ANTENATAL EXERCISES, INCLUDING YOGA, ON THE COURSE OF LABOR, DELIVERY, AND PREGNANCY OUTCOMES. METHODS: A RETROSPECTIVE STUDY WAS CONDUCTED AMONG 200 PRIMIPAROUS SUBJECTS (AGED 20-40). A QUESTIONNAIRE WAS PROVIDED TO THE SUBJECTS TO OBTAIN THEIR DEMOGRAPHIC AND OBSTETRICAL INFORMATION 6 WEEKS AFTER DELIVERY, AND THEIR HOSPITAL RECORDS WERE ALSO ASSESSED FOR FURTHER DETAILS. BASED ON THE NATURE AND DETAILS OBTAINED FOR THE ANTENATAL EXERCISES, SUBJECTS WERE DIVIDED INTO TWO GROUPS: CONTROL AND EXERCISE. OUTCOME MEASURES INCLUDED THE NEED FOR LABOR INDUCTION, SELF-PERCEIVED PAIN AND PERCEIVED EXERTION DURING LABOR, DURATION AND NATURE OF THE DELIVERY, NEWBORN INFANT WEIGHT, MATERNAL WEIGHT GAIN, HISTORY OF BACK PAIN, AND POST-PARTUM RECOVERY. THE TOTAL MATERNAL WEIGHT GAIN (IN KILOGRAMS) WAS CALCULATED FROM WEIGHT AT 6 WEEKS AFTER DELIVERY MINUS THE WEIGHT AT 12-14 WEEKS OF GESTATION. BACK PAIN DURING PREGNANCY AND SELF-PERCEIVED LABOR PAIN WERE MEASURED USING A VISUAL ANALOG SCALE (VAS). THE OVERALL PERCEIVED EXERTION DURING LABOR WAS MEASURED USING AN ADAPTED BORG SCALE FOR PERCEIVED EFFORT. RESULTS: THE SUBJECTS WHO FOLLOWED REGULAR ANTENATAL EXERCISES, INCLUDING YOGA, HAD SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER RATES OF CESAREAN SECTION, LOWER WEIGHT GAIN, HIGHER NEWBORN INFANT WEIGHT, LOWER PAIN AND OVERALL DISCOMFORT DURING LABOR, LOWER BACK PAIN THROUGHOUT PREGNANCY, AND EARLIER POST-PARTUM RECOVERY COMPARED TO THOSE WHO DID NO SPECIFIC EXERCISES OR ONLY WALKED DURING PREGNANCY. CONCLUSIONS: THIS RETROSPECTIVE STUDY SHOWED THAT REGULAR ANTENATAL EXERCISES, INCLUDING YOGA, RESULT IN BETTER OUTCOMES RELATED TO THE COURSE OF LABOR, DELIVERY, AND PREGNANCY. THESE RESULTS NOTABLY INDICATED THAT PREGNANT WOMEN SHOULD BE ACTIVE THROUGHOUT PREGNANCY AND FOLLOW A SUPERVISED EXERCISE PROGRAM THAT INCLUDES YOGA UNLESS CONTRAINDICATED. WE REQUIRE FURTHER LARGE-SCALE PROSPECTIVE STUDIES AND QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL TRIALS TO CONFIRM THE OBSERVED FINDINGS. 2020 17 2524 41 YOGA DURING PREGNANCY: EFFECTS ON MATERNAL COMFORT, LABOR PAIN AND BIRTH OUTCOMES. THIS STUDY EXAMINED THE EFFECTS OF A YOGA PROGRAM DURING PREGNANCY, ON MATERNAL COMFORT, LABOR PAIN, AND BIRTH OUTCOMES. A RANDOMIZED TRIAL WAS CONDUCTED USING 74-PRIMIGRAVID THAI WOMEN WHO WERE EQUALLY DIVIDED INTO TWO GROUPS (EXPERIMENTAL AND CONTROL). THE YOGA PROGRAM INVOLVED SIX, 1-H SESSIONS AT PRESCRIBED WEEKS OF GESTATION. A VARIETY OF INSTRUMENTS WERE USED TO ASSESS MATERNAL COMFORT, LABOR PAIN AND BIRTH OUTCOMES. THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP WAS FOUND TO HAVE HIGHER LEVELS OF MATERNAL COMFORT DURING LABOR AND 2H POST-LABOR, AND EXPERIENCED LESS SUBJECT EVALUATED LABOR PAIN THAN THE CONTROL GROUP. IN EACH GROUP, PAIN INCREASED AND MATERNAL COMFORT DECREASED AS LABOR PROGRESSED. NO DIFFERENCES WERE FOUND, BETWEEN THE GROUPS, REGARDING PETHIDINE USAGE, LABOR AUGMENTATION OR NEWBORN APGAR SCORES AT 1 AND 5 MIN. THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP WAS FOUND TO HAVE A SHORTER DURATION OF THE FIRST STAGE OF LABOR, AS WELL AS THE TOTAL TIME OF LABOR. 2008 18 2054 28 THE ASSOCIATION OF SUDARSHAN KRIYA YOGA FREQUENCY WITH SLEEP QUALITY: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY FROM SINGAPORE. PURPOSE: THERE IS A DEARTH OF EVIDENCE FOR THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YOGIC BREATHING AND SLEEP QUALITY. EVEN LESS IS KNOWN ABOUT PRACTICE FREQUENCY AND BENEFIT. WE INVESTIGATED THE ASSOCIATION OF SUDARSHAN KRIYA YOGA FREQUENCY WITH SLEEP QUALITY AMONGST ADULT PRACTITIONERS. METHODS: IN A CROSS-SECTIONAL INVESTIGATION ON ADULT PRACTITIONERS OF SUDARSHAN KRIYA YOGA IN SINGAPORE, THE PITTSBURGH SLEEP QUALITY INDEX (PSQI) WAS USED TO ASSESS SLEEP QUALITY. SLEEP QUALITY WAS EXAMINED ACROSS THREE CATEGORIES OF PRACTICE FREQUENCY (MONTHLY, WEEKLY, DAILY). A MULTIVARIATE LOGISTIC REGRESSION MODEL WAS USED TO DETERMINE ASSOCIATION. RESULTS: OF 385 ADULTS (241 WOMEN), THE MEAN AGE (SD) WAS 42.5 (9.9) YEARS. IN TOTAL, 32% OF THE SAMPLE (N = 124) WAS IDENTIFIED AS HAVING POOR SQ. AFTER ADJUSTING FOR STUDY COVARIATES, INDEPENDENT ANALYSES REVEALED AN INVERSE ASSOCIATION FOR HIGHER FREQUENCY OF PRACTICE AND LOWER ODDS OF POOR SQ (OR = 0.52; 95% CI = 0.28-0.94). THE P FOR TREND WAS 0.03. CONCLUSION: THE PRACTICE OF YOGIC BREATHING MAY BENEFIT SLEEP QUALITY. FURTHER EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATIONS ARE WARRANTED. 2021 19 835 39 EFFECT OF YOGA ON PAIN, BRAIN-DERIVED NEUROTROPHIC FACTOR, AND SEROTONIN IN PREMENOPAUSAL WOMEN WITH CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN. BACKGROUND. SEROTONIN AND BRAIN-DERIVED NEUROTROPHIC FACTOR (BDNF) ARE KNOWN TO BE MODULATORS OF NOCICEPTION. HOWEVER, PAIN-RELATED CONNECTION BETWEEN YOGA AND THOSE NEUROMODULATORS HAS NOT BEEN INVESTIGATED. THEREFORE, WE AIMED TO EVALUATE THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON PAIN, BDNF, AND SEROTONIN. METHODS. PREMENOPAUSAL WOMEN WITH CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN PRACTICED YOGA THREE TIMES A WEEK FOR 12 WEEKS. AT BASELINE AND AFTER 12 WEEKS, BACK PAIN INTENSITY WAS MEASURED USING VISUAL ANALOGUE SCALE (VAS), AND SERUM BDNF AND SEROTONIN LEVELS WERE EVALUATED. ADDITIONALLY, BACK FLEXIBILITY AND LEVEL OF DEPRESSION WERE ASSESSED. RESULTS. AFTER 12-WEEK YOGA, VAS DECREASED IN THE YOGA GROUP (P < 0.001), WHEREAS IT INCREASED (P < 0.05) IN THE CONTROL GROUP. BACK FLEXIBILITY WAS IMPROVED IN THE YOGA GROUP (P < 0.01). SERUM BDNF INCREASED IN THE YOGA GROUP (P < 0.01), WHEREAS IT TENDED TO DECREASE IN THE CONTROL GROUP (P = 0.05). SERUM SEROTONIN MAINTAINED IN THE YOGA GROUP, WHILE IT REDUCED (P < 0.01) IN THE CONTROL GROUP. THE DEPRESSION LEVEL MAINTAINED IN THE YOGA GROUP, WHEREAS IT TENDED TO INCREASE IN THE CONTROL GROUP (P = 0.07). CONCLUSIONS. WE PROPOSE THAT BDNF MAY BE ONE OF THE KEY FACTORS MEDIATING BENEFICIAL EFFECTS OF YOGA ON CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN. 2014 20 1538 36 KNOWLEDGE AND ATTITUDES TOWARD PRENATAL YOGA AMONG WOMEN WITH HIGH-RISK PREGNANCIES. THIS STUDY SOUGHT TO EVALUATE ATTITUDES AND KNOWLEDGE ABOUT PRENATAL YOGA AND TO INVESTIGATE BARRIERS AND FACILITATORS TO YOGA PARTICIPATION IN HIGH-RISK PREGNANT WOMEN RECEIVING PRENATAL CARE IN AN ACADEMIC TERTIARY CARE CENTER. WE SURVEYED A CONVENIENCE SAMPLE OF WOMEN RECEIVING PRENATAL CARE THROUGH THE MATERNAL-FETAL MEDICINE PRACTICE AT BRIGHAM AND WOMEN'S HOSPITAL. WE CLASSIFIED PARTICIPANTS AS YOGA-EXPERIENCED OR YOGA-NAIVE DEPENDING ON SELF-REPORT. WE COMPARED DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE TWO GROUPS USING THE APPROPRIATE NONPARAMETRIC TESTS AND COMPARED BIVARIATE ODDS RATIOS FOR SURVEY RESULTS USING LOGISTIC REGRESSION. OF THE 100 RESPONDENTS, 53% HAD PRACTICED YOGA PREVIOUSLY. WOMEN WITH YOGA EXPERIENCE WERE OLDER (AGE 34.9 +/- 5.6 VS. 31.0 +/- 6.0 YEARS, P = 0.004), MORE LIKELY TO BE COLLEGE GRADUATES (94% VS. 68%, P = 0.002), AND MORE LIKELY TO BE WHITE (77% VS. 47%, P = 0.002) THAN WOMEN WITHOUT PREVIOUS YOGA EXPERIENCE. PREVIOUS YOGA EXPERIENCE WAS ASSOCIATED WITH PARTICIPANT AGREEMENT THAT YOGA WAS SAFE DURING THEIR CURRENT PREGNANCY (ODDS RATIO 5.9, 95% CONFIDENCE INTERVAL 1.9-17.7). OF THE WOMEN SURVEYED, 56% AGREED THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO ATTEND A PRENATAL YOGA CLASS. IN A MULTIVARIATE MODEL INCLUDING AGE, RACE, AND EDUCATION, PREVIOUS YOGA EXPERIENCE WAS THE ONLY SIGNIFICANT PREDICTOR ASSOCIATED WITH WILLINGNESS TO PARTICIPATE IN PRENATAL YOGA CLASSES DURING CURRENT PREGNANCY (ODDS RATIO 3.1, 95% CONFIDENCE INTERVAL 1.1-8.6). PRIOR YOGA EXPERIENCE WAS THE STRONGEST PREDICTOR OF WILLINGNESS TO ATTEND A PRENATAL YOGA CLASS IN OUR POPULATION. OUR RESULTS SUGGEST THAT WOMEN WITH HIGH-RISK PREGNANCIES WHO MAY BENEFIT FROM PRENATAL YOGA INTERVENTIONS BUT LACK PRIOR YOGA EXPERIENCE MAY NEED ADDITIONAL EDUCATION TO FACILITATE PARTICIPATION. 2020