1 1192 141 EXAMINING A THERAPEUTIC YOGA PROGRAM FOR PROSTATE CANCER SURVIVORS. BACKGROUND: IN THE EARLIER STAGES OF PROSTATE CANCER, EFFECTIVE TREATMENTS HAVE CREATED A NEED FOR RESEARCH TO FOCUS ON PRACTICES THAT MAY IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE THROUGHOUT SURVIVORSHIP. PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IS A SIGNIFICANT SUPPORTIVE CARE MANAGEMENT STRATEGY FOR PROSTATE CANCER SURVIVORS, THOUGH THE OPTIMAL MODALITY IS NOT YET UNDERSTOOD. HYPOTHESES: THE AUTHORS HYPOTHESIZED THAT YOGA WOULD BE A FEASIBLE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY OPTION FOR PROSTATE CANCER SURVIVORS AND THEIR SUPPORT PERSONS AND THAT THE INCORPORATION OF SOCIAL SUPPORT WOULD INCREASE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY ADHERENCE. METHODS: THIS 14-WEEK FEASIBILITY STUDY INVOLVED A 7-WEEK CLASS-BASED YOGA PROGRAM (ADHERENCE PHASE), FOLLOWED BY 7 WEEKS OF SELF-SELECTED PHYSICAL ACTIVITY (MAINTENANCE PHASE). DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION, PHYSICAL ACTIVITY BEHAVIOR, QUALITY OF LIFE, FATIGUE, STRESS, MOOD, AND FITNESS VARIABLES WERE ASSESSED AT 3 TIME POINTS. PROSTATE CANCER SURVIVORS' PERCEIVED SOCIAL SUPPORT WAS RATED DURING YOGA AND AFTER YOGA. RESULTS: CLASS ATTENDANCE WAS 6.1 AND 5.8 FOR PROSTATE CANCER SURVIVORS (N = 15) AND THEIR SUPPORT PERSONS (N = 10), RESPECTIVELY, FOR THE 7 CLASSES. LEVELS OF PERCEIVED SOCIAL SUPPORT WERE HIGHER FOR THOSE WHO BROUGHT A SUPPORT PERSON. SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS WITH REGARD TO STRESS, FATIGUE, AND MOOD BEFORE AND AFTER YOGA CLASS (ALL PS < .05) WERE REPORTED BY ALL PARTICIPANTS. NO CLINICALLY SIGNIFICANT CHANGES WERE NOTED ON PROSTATE CANCER SURVIVOR'S QUALITY OF LIFE OR FATIGUE OVER THE COURSE OF THE 14-WEEK STUDY. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA IS A FEASIBLE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY OPTION FOR PROSTATE CANCER SURVIVORS. THE PROGRAM HAD A PROMISING UPTAKE RATE, HIGH PROGRAM ADHERENCE RATE, AND THERE WERE ACUTE PROGRAM BENEFITS WITH REGARD TO STRESS, FATIGUE, AND MOOD FOR ALL PARTICIPANTS. FUTURE EXAMINATION IS WARRANTED WITH REGARD TO CHRONIC BENEFITS AND GROUP COHESION INFLUENCES ON LEVELS OF PERCEIVED SOCIAL SUPPORT. 2013 2 1843 43 QUALITATIVE EVALUATION OF A HIGH SCHOOL YOGA PROGRAM: FEASIBILITY AND PERCEIVED BENEFITS. THIS IS THE FIRST PUBLISHED QUALITATIVE ASSESSMENT OF A YOGA PROGRAM APPLIED IN A HIGH SCHOOL SETTING. THIS QUALITATIVE INTERVIEW STUDY WAS NESTED IN A RANDOMIZED, CONTROLLED TRIAL STUDYING THE EFFECTS OF A YOGA PROGRAM OFFERED IN PLACE OF A SEMESTER OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION CLASSES AT A RURAL PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL. STUDENT INTERVIEWS WERE CONDUCTED AFTER TAKING PART IN A SEMESTER OF THE YOGA PROGRAM. A FORMAL PASSIVE CONSENT WITH INFORMATION ABOUT THE QUALITATIVE STUDY WAS SENT HOME TO PARENTS/GUARDIANS OF ALL STUDENTS IN THE PARENT STUDY BEFORE THE INTERVIEWS. MOST STUDENTS ENJOYED THE YOGA CLASSES AND FELT BENEFITS. NEGATIVE REPORTS OF YOGA PRACTICE WERE ASSOCIATED WITH GENDER AS MOST MALES SENSED PEER PRESSURE AGAINST PRACTICING YOGA. DESPITE THIS FINDING, MOST STUDENTS WANTED TO CONTINUE YOGA AND WOULD CONTINUE IF IT WERE OFFERED IN SCHOOL. POSITIVE REPORTS INCLUDE A GREATER KINESTHETIC AWARENESS, WHICH SOME STUDENTS ASSOCIATED WITH A GREATER RESPECT FOR THE BODY AND IMPROVED SELF-IMAGE. AMONG STUDENTS REPORTING PSYCHOLOGICAL BENEFITS, MANY CITED STRESS REDUCTION; MANY USED YOGA TO MANAGE NEGATIVE EMOTIONS; AND SOME PROPAGATED MORE OPTIMISM. MOST THOUGHT YOGA COULD REDUCE INTEREST IN THE USE OF DRUGS AND ALCOHOL AND INCREASE SOCIAL COHESION WITH FAMILY AND PEERS. WE FOUND THAT A YOGA PROGRAM IS FEASIBLE IN THIS SAMPLE OF 9TH AND 10TH GRADERS, ESPECIALLY AFTER BENEFITS ARE PERCEIVED. WE ALSO FOUND EVIDENCE THAT YOGA MAY LEAD TO EMERGENT POSITIVE BENEFITS IN HEALTH BEHAVIORS NOT DIRECTLY PRESCRIBED BY THE PROGRAM. THESE RESULTS SUGGEST THAT SCHOOL-BASED YOGA PROGRAMS MAY BE APPROPRIATE FOR PROMOTING HEALTHY BEHAVIORS AT A SOCIETAL LEVEL BY FOCUSING ON THE PREVENTION OF NEGATIVE PATTERNS DURING THE ADOLESCENT TRANSITION. 2013 3 258 42 ACCEPTABILITY AND FEASIBILITY OF A 12-WEEK YOGA VS. EDUCATIONAL FILM PROGRAM FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF RESTLESS LEGS SYNDROME (RLS): STUDY PROTOCOL FOR A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. BACKGROUND: RESTLESS LEGS SYNDROME (RLS) IS A COMMON AND BURDENSOME SLEEP DISORDER ASSOCIATED WITH PROFOUND IMPAIRMENT OF HEALTH, WELL-BEING, AND QUALITY OF LIFE. UNFORTUNATELY, THE MEDICATIONS USED FOR RLS MANAGEMENT CARRY RISK OF SERIOUS SIDE EFFECTS, INCLUDING AUGMENTATION OF SYMPTOMS. YOGA, AN ANCIENT MIND-BODY DISCIPLINE DESIGNED TO PROMOTE PHYSICAL, EMOTIONAL, AND MENTAL WELL-BEING, MAY OFFER A VIABLE, LOW-RISK NEW TREATMENT. THE PRIMARY OBJECTIVES OF THIS PILOT, PARALLEL-ARM, RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL (RCT) ARE TO ASSESS THE ACCEPTABILITY AND FEASIBILITY OF A 12-WEEK YOGA VS. EDUCATIONAL FILM PROGRAM FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF RLS. METHODS: FORTY-FOUR ADULTS WITH CONFIRMED MODERATE TO SEVERE RLS WILL BE RECRUITED AND RANDOMIZED TO A 12-WEEK YOGA (N = 22) OR STANDARDIZED EDUCATIONAL FILM PROGRAM (N = 22). YOGA GROUP PARTICIPANTS WILL ATTEND TWO 75-MIN IYENGAR YOGA CLASSES PER WEEK FOR THE FIRST 4 WEEKS, THEN ONE 75-MIN CLASS PER WEEK FOR THE REMAINING 8 WEEKS, AND WILL COMPLETE A 30-MIN HOMEWORK ROUTINE ON NON-CLASS DAYS. EDUCATIONAL FILM GROUP PARTICIPANTS WILL ATTEND ONE 75-MIN CLASS PER WEEK FOR 12 WEEKS AND COMPLETE A DAILY RLS TREATMENT LOG; CLASSES WILL INCLUDE INFORMATION ON: RLS MANAGEMENT, INCLUDING SLEEP HYGIENE PRACTICES; OTHER SLEEP DISORDERS; AND COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES LIKELY TO BE OF INTEREST TO THOSE PARTICIPATING IN A YOGA AND SLEEP EDUCATION STUDY. YOGA AND TREATMENT LOGS WILL BE COLLECTED WEEKLY. FEASIBILITY OUTCOMES WILL INCLUDE RECRUITMENT, ENROLLMENT, AND RANDOMIZATION RATES, RETENTION, ADHERENCE, AND PROGRAM SATISFACTION. PROGRAM EVALUATION AND YOGA-DOSING QUESTIONNAIRES WILL BE COLLECTED AT WEEK 12; DATA ON EXPLORATORY OUTCOMES (E.G., RLS SYMPTOM SEVERITY (IRLS), SLEEP QUALITY (PSQI), MOOD (POMS, PSS), AND HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE (SF-36)) WILL BE GATHERED AT BASELINE AND WEEK 12. DISCUSSION: THIS STUDY WILL LAY THE ESSENTIAL GROUNDWORK FOR A PLANNED LARGER RCT TO DETERMINE THE EFFICACY OF A YOGA PROGRAM FOR REDUCING SYMPTOMS AND ASSOCIATED BURDEN OF RLS. IF THE FINDINGS OF THE CURRENT TRIAL AND THE SUBSEQUENT LARGER RCTS ARE POSITIVE, THIS STUDY WILL ALSO HELP SUPPORT A NEW APPROACH TO CLINICAL TREATMENT OF THIS CHALLENGING DISORDER, HELP FOSTER IMPROVED UNDERSTANDING OF RLS ETIOLOGY, AND ULTIMATELY CONTRIBUTE TO REDUCING THE INDIVIDUAL, SOCIETAL, AND ECONOMIC BURDEN ASSOCIATED WITH THIS CONDITION. TRIAL REGISTRATION: CLINICALTRIALS.GOV, ID: NCT03570515 . RETROSPECTIVELY REGISTERED ON 1 FEBRUARY 2017. 2019 4 2183 54 THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON PSYCHOSOCIAL VARIABLES AND EXERCISE ADHERENCE: A RANDOMIZED, CONTROLLED PILOT STUDY. BACKGROUND: PHYSICAL INACTIVITY IS A SERIOUS ISSUE FOR THE AMERICAN PUBLIC. BECAUSE OF CONDITIONS THAT RESULT FROM INACTIVITY, INDIVIDUALS INCUR CLOSE TO $1 TRILLION USD IN HEALTH-CARE COSTS, AND APPROXIMATELY 250 000 PREMATURE DEATHS OCCUR PER YEAR. RESEARCHERS HAVE LINKED ENGAGING IN YOGA TO IMPROVED OVERALL FITNESS, INCLUDING IMPROVED MUSCULAR STRENGTH, MUSCULAR ENDURANCE, FLEXIBILITY, AND BALANCE. RESEARCHERS HAVE NOT YET INVESTIGATED THE IMPACT OF YOGA ON EXERCISE ADHERENCE. OBJECTIVE: THE RESEARCH TEAM ASSESSED THE EFFECTS OF 10 WEEKS OF YOGA CLASSES HELD TWICE A WEEK ON EXERCISE ADHERENCE IN PREVIOUSLY SEDENTARY ADULTS. DESIGN: THE RESEARCH TEAM DESIGNED A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED PILOT TRIAL. THE TEAM COLLECTED DATA FROM THE INTERVENTION (YOGA) AND CONTROL GROUPS AT BASELINE, MIDPOINT, AND POSTTEST (POSTTEST 1) AND ALSO COLLECTED DATA PERTAINING TO EXERCISE ADHERENCE FOR THE YOGA GROUP AT 5 WEEKS POSTTEST (POSTTEST 2). SETTING: THE PILOT TOOK PLACE IN A YOGA STUDIO IN CENTRAL NEW JERSEY IN THE UNITED STATES. THE PRETESTING OCCURRED AT THE YOGA STUDIO FOR ALL PARTICIPANTS. MIDPOINT TESTING AND POSTTESTING OCCURRED AT THE STUDIO FOR THE YOGA GROUP AND BY MAIL FOR THE CONTROL GROUP. PARTICIPANTS: PARTICIPANTS WERE 27 ADULTS (MEAN AGE 51 Y) WHO HAD BEEN PHYSICALLY INACTIVE FOR A PERIOD OF AT LEAST 6 MONTHS PRIOR TO THE STUDY. INTERVENTIONS THE INTERVENTION GROUP (YOGA GROUP) RECEIVED HOUR-LONG HATHA YOGA CLASSES THAT MET TWICE A WEEK FOR 10 WEEKS. THE CONTROL GROUP DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN CLASSES DURING THE RESEARCH STUDY; HOWEVER, THEY WERE OFFERED COMPLIMENTARY POST RESEARCH CLASSES. OUTCOME MEASURES THE STUDY'S PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURE WAS EXERCISE ADHERENCE AS MEASURED BY THE 7-DAY PHYSICAL ACTIVITY RECALL. THE SECONDARY MEASURES INCLUDED (1) EXERCISE SELF-EFFICACY AS MEASURED BY THE MULTIDIMENSIONAL SELF-EFFICACY FOR EXERCISE SCALE, (2) GENERAL WELL-BEING AS MEASURED BY THE GENERAL WELL-BEING SCHEDULE, (3) EXERCISE-GROUP COHESION AS MEASURED BY THE GROUP ENVIRONMENT QUESTIONNAIRE (GEQ), (4) ACUTE FEELING RESPONSE AS MEASURED BY THE EXERCISE-INDUCED FEELING INVENTORY (EFI), AND (5) TWO OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS CODED FOR EMERGING THEMES AND SUBCATEGORIES. RESULTS: THE ANALYSIS REVEALED THAT THE YOGA GROUP'S MEAN HOURS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AT 10 WEEKS REFLECTED A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN EXERCISE ADHERENCE FROM BASELINE (P < .012) AND A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE FROM THE CONTROL GROUP (P < .004). AT 5 WEEKS POST-INTERVENTION, NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGE HAD OCCURRED IN THE YOGA GROUP'S EXERCISE ADHERENCE (P = .906). EXERCISE SELF-EFFICACY CHANGED SIGNIFICANTLY FROM BASELINE TO MIDPOINT (P < .029). THE GENERAL WELLBEING DATA DEMONSTRATED A SIGNIFICANT INTERACTION EFFECT (P < .001), RESULTING FROM AN INCREASE IN GENERAL WELL-BEING IN THE INTERVENTION GROUP AND A DECREASE IN GENERAL WELL-BEING IN THE CONTROL GROUP. IN ADDITION, THE YOGA GROUP'S COHESION SCORE WAS CONSISTENT WITH THE NORMS ON TWO CONSTRUCTS OF THE GEQ: ATTRACTION TO GROUP TASK AND GROUP INTEGRATION TASK. THE EFI REVEALED THAT THE YOGA PARTICIPANTS "FELT STRONGLY" THAT THEIR EXPERIENCES IN YOGA WERE PEACEFUL, HAPPY, UPBEAT, AND ENTHUSIASTIC AND THAT THEY FELT REVIVED FOLLOWING THE YOGA CLASSES. QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS OF DATA REVEALED SELF-REPORTED IMPROVEMENTS IN EXERCISE BEHAVIORS, STRESS MANAGEMENT, AND EATING HABITS. CONCLUSIONS: TEN WEEKS OF YOGA CLASSES TWICE A WEEK SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED PREVIOUSLY INACTIVE PARTICIPANTS' ADHERENCE TO PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. ADDITIONALLY, THE FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT A MIND-BODY EXERCISE PROGRAM MAY BE AN EFFECTIVE INTERVENTION IN THE FIGHT AGAINST PHYSICAL INACTIVITY. 2012 5 390 41 BENEFITS OF YOGA FOR PSYCHOSOCIAL WELL-BEING IN A US HIGH SCHOOL CURRICULUM: A PRELIMINARY RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. OBJECTIVE: TO TEST FEASIBILITY OF YOGA WITHIN A HIGH SCHOOL CURRICULUM AND EVALUATE PREVENTIVE EFFICACY FOR PSYCHOSOCIAL WELL-BEING. METHODS: GRADE 11 OR 12 STUDENTS (N = 51) WHO REGISTERED FOR PHYSICAL EDUCATION (PE) WERE CLUSTER-RANDOMIZED BY CLASS 2:1 YOGA:PE-AS-USUAL. A KRIPALU-BASED YOGA PROGRAM OF PHYSICAL POSTURES, BREATHING EXERCISES, RELAXATION, AND MEDITATION WAS TAUGHT 2 TO 3 TIMES A WEEK FOR 10 WEEKS. SELF-REPORT QUESTIONNAIRES WERE ADMINISTERED TO STUDENTS 1 WEEK BEFORE AND AFTER. PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURES OF PSYCHOSOCIAL WELL-BEING WERE PROFILE OF MOOD STATES-SHORT FORM AND POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE AFFECT SCHEDULE FOR CHILDREN. ADDITIONAL MEASURES OF PSYCHOSOCIAL WELL-BEING INCLUDED PERCEIVED STRESS SCALE AND INVENTORY OF POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGICAL ATTITUDES. SECONDARY MEASURES OF SELF-REGULATORY SKILLS INCLUDED RESILIENCE SCALE, STATE TRAIT ANGER EXPRESSION INVENTORY-2, AND CHILD ACCEPTANCE MINDFULNESS MEASURE. TO ASSESS FEASIBILITY, YOGA STUDENTS COMPLETED A PROGRAM EVALUATION. ANALYSES OF COVARIANCE WERE CONDUCTED BETWEEN GROUPS WITH BASELINE AS THE COVARIATE. RESULTS: ALTHOUGH PE-AS-USUAL STUDENTS SHOWED DECREASES IN PRIMARY OUTCOMES, YOGA STUDENTS MAINTAINED OR IMPROVED. TOTAL MOOD DISTURBANCE IMPROVED IN YOGA STUDENTS AND WORSENED IN CONTROLS (P = .015), AS DID PROFILE OF MOOD STATES-SHORT FORM (POMS-SF) TENSION-ANXIETY SUBSCALE (P = .002). ALTHOUGH POSITIVE AFFECT REMAINED UNCHANGED IN BOTH, NEGATIVE AFFECT SIGNIFICANTLY WORSENED IN CONTROLS WHILE IMPROVING IN YOGA STUDENTS (P = .006). SECONDARY OUTCOMES WERE NOT SIGNIFICANT. STUDENTS RATED YOGA FAIRLY HIGH, DESPITE MODERATE ATTENDANCE. CONCLUSIONS: IMPLEMENTATION WAS FEASIBLE AND STUDENTS GENERALLY FOUND IT BENEFICIAL. ALTHOUGH NOT CAUSAL DUE TO SMALL, UNEVEN SAMPLE SIZE, THIS PRELIMINARY STUDY SUGGESTS PREVENTIVE BENEFITS IN PSYCHOSOCIAL WELL-BEING FROM KRIPALU YOGA DURING HIGH SCHOOL PE. THESE RESULTS ARE CONSISTENT WITH PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED STUDIES OF YOGA IN SCHOOL SETTINGS. 2012 6 156 37 A QUALITATIVE STUDY OF LOVEYOURBRAIN YOGA: A GROUP-BASED YOGA WITH PSYCHOEDUCATION INTERVENTION TO FACILITATE COMMUNITY INTEGRATION FOR PEOPLE WITH TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY AND THEIR CAREGIVERS. PURPOSE: TO EXPLORE PARTICIPANTS' EXPERIENCES IN A GROUP-BASED YOGA WITH PSYCHOEDUCATION INTERVENTION DESIGNED TO FACILITATE COMMUNITY INTEGRATION FOR PEOPLE WITH TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY AND THEIR CAREGIVERS.MATERIALS AND METHODS: WE CONDUCTED SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEWS WITH 13 PEOPLE WITH TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY AND THREE CAREGIVERS WHO HAD COMPLETED LOVEYOURBRAIN YOGA, A 6-SESSION, MANUALIZED, GROUP-BASED YOGA INTERVENTION THAT INCORPORATES BREATHING EXERCISES, YOGA, MEDITATION, AND PSYCHOEDUCATION. INTERVIEWS WERE ANALYZED USING CONTENT ANALYSIS.RESULTS: WE IDENTIFIED SEVEN THEMES: EASE OF PARTICIPATION, BELONGING, SUSTAINING COMMUNITY CONNECTION, PHYSICAL HEALTH, SELF-REGULATION, SELF-EFFICACY, AND RESILIENCE. ALL PARTICIPANTS VALUED THE COMMUNITY-BASED YOGA STUDIO ENVIRONMENT AND MULTIFACETED STRUCTURE OF THE PROGRAM. PARTICIPANTS REPORTED IMPROVEMENTS IN STRENGTH, BALANCE, FLEXIBILITY, AND ATTENTION CONTROL, AND A GREATER SENSE OF BELONGING, COMMUNITY CONNECTION, AND ABILITY TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THEIR LIVES. PARTICIPANTS REPORTED ONGOING USE OF TOOLS (E.G., BREATHING EXERCISES) TO COPE WITH NEGATIVE EMOTIONS AND STRESS. ABOUT HALF OF PARTICIPANTS SUSTAINED RELATIONSHIPS BUILT DURING LOVEYOURBRAIN YOGA AND FELT MORE CAPABLE OF ACCESSING OTHER ACTIVITIES IN THEIR COMMUNITY.CONCLUSIONS: LOVEYOURBRAIN YOGA SUCCESSFULLY PROMOTED COMMUNITY INTEGRATION FOR PEOPLE WITH TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY. IT ALSO FACILITATED DIVERSE AND MEANINGFUL PHYSICAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL, AND SOCIAL HEALTH BENEFITS, WHICH SUGGEST THAT IT MAY BE AN EFFECTIVE MODE OF COMMUNITY-BASED REHABILITATION.IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONTRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY SURVIVORS OFTEN STRUGGLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THEIR COMMUNITY, THE ULTIMATE GOAL OF REHABILITATIONYOGA IS A HOLISTIC THERAPY WITH MANY BENEFITS, YET IS NOT ACCESSIBLE TO THE TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY POPULATION AT THE COMMUNITY LEVELPARTICIPANTS IN A COMMUNITY-BASED YOGA WITH PSYCHOEDUCATION INTERVENTION IN SIX STATES EXPERIENCED DIVERSE AND MEANINGFUL PHYSICAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL, AND SOCIAL HEALTH BENEFITSGROUP-BASED YOGA WITH PSYCHOEDUCATION MAY BE AN EFFECTIVE MODE OF COMMUNITY INTEGRATION AND COMMUNITY-BASED REHABILITATION FOR TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY SURVIVORS. 2020 7 2132 35 THE EFFECTS OF A GENTLE YOGA PROGRAM ON SLEEP, MOOD, AND BLOOD PRESSURE IN OLDER WOMEN WITH RESTLESS LEGS SYNDROME (RLS): A PRELIMINARY RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. OBJECTIVE. TO EXAMINE THE EFFECTS OF YOGA VERSUS AN EDUCATIONAL FILM PROGRAM ON SLEEP, MOOD, PERCEIVED STRESS, AND SYMPATHETIC ACTIVATION IN OLDER WOMEN WITH RLS. METHODS. PARTICIPANTS WERE DRAWN FROM A LARGER TRIAL REGARDING THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE RISK PROFILES IN OVERWEIGHT, SEDENTARY POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN. SEVENTY-FIVE WOMEN WERE RANDOMIZED TO RECEIVE EITHER AN 8-WEEK YOGA (N = 38) OR EDUCATIONAL FILM (N = 37) PROGRAM. ALL 75 PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED AN RLS SCREENING QUESTIONNAIRE. THE 20 WOMEN WHO MET ALL FOUR DIAGNOSTIC CRITERIA FOR RLS (N = 10 YOGA, 10 FILM GROUP) COMPRISED THE POPULATION FOR THIS NESTED STUDY. MAIN OUTCOMES ASSESSED PRE- AND POST-TREATMENT INCLUDED: SLEEP (PITTSBURGH SLEEP QUALITY INDEX), STRESS (PERCEIVED STRESS SCALE), MOOD (PROFILE OF MOOD STATES, STATE-TRAIT ANXIETY INVENTORY), BLOOD PRESSURE, AND HEART RATE. RESULTS. THE YOGA GROUP DEMONSTRATED SIGNIFICANTLY GREATER IMPROVEMENTS THAN CONTROLS IN MULTIPLE DOMAINS OF SLEEP QUALITY AND MOOD, AND SIGNIFICANTLY GREATER REDUCTIONS IN INSOMNIA PREVALENCE, ANXIETY, PERCEIVED STRESS, AND BLOOD PRESSURE (ALL P'S/= 6 MONTHS PREVIOUS) AFTER PARTICIPATION IN A YOGA INFUSED SELF-MANAGEMENT INTERVENTION. METHODS: A MIXED-METHODS SECONDARY DATA ANALYSIS EXAMINED QUANTITATIVE MEASURES OF ENDURANCE, STRENGTH, AND GAIT SPEED AND QUALITATIVE PERSPECTIVES OF INTERVENTION PARTICIPANTS. RESULTS: BASED ON WILCOXON ANALYSIS, PHYSICAL FITNESS OUTCOME MEASURES INCLUDING ENDURANCE AND LOWER AND UPPER BODY STRENGTH SIGNIFICANTLY (P < .02) IMPROVED. BASED ON QUALITATIVE RESULTS OF 2 FOCUS GROUPS AND 14 INDIVIDUAL INTERVIEWS, PARTICIPANTS EXPRESSED POSITIVE CHANGES IN ENDURANCE, STRENGTH, GAIT SPEED, FLEXIBILITY, AND BALANCE. THEY ALSO REPORTED IMPROVEMENTS IN WALKING ABILITY AND DURATION, AND EXPRESSED A DESIRE TO CONTINUE YOGA AND INCREASE LEVELS OF EXERCISE. CONCLUSIONS: WITH THE OBJECTIVE OF IMPROVING PHYSICAL FITNESS AND EXERCISE FOR OLDER ADULTS WITH CHRONIC STROKE, IT IS IMPORTANT FOR SELF-MANAGEMENT INTERVENTIONS TO PROVIDE SPECIFIC SAFE AND FEASIBLE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY COMPONENTS, SUCH AS YOGA. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: HEALTH PROFESSIONALS MAY IMPROVE OFFERED CHRONIC STROKE SELF-MANAGEMENT INTERVENTIONS BY INCORPORATING YOGA. 2018 11 724 50 EFFECT OF LAUGHTER YOGA ON MOOD AND HEART RATE VARIABILITY IN PATIENTS AWAITING ORGAN TRANSPLANTATION: A PILOT STUDY. CONTEXT: RESEARCH SHOWS THAT LAUGHTER HAS MYRIAD HEALTH BENEFITS, YET THE MEDICAL COMMUNITY HAS NOT IMPLEMENTED IT FORMALLY AS A TREATMENT. PATIENTS AWAITING ORGAN TRANSPLANTATION HAVE SIGNIFICANT PHYSICAL DISABILITIES AND ARE AT RISK FOR PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS. ATTENUATED HEART RATE VARIABILITY (HRV) IS A RISK FACTOR FOR A NEGATIVE LONG-TERM OUTCOME IN SOME PATIENTS. OBJECTIVE: THE STUDY INTENDED TO EVALUATE THE CLINICAL UTILITY OF LAUGHTER YOGA IN IMPROVING PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL MEASURES IN OUTPATIENTS AWAITING ORGAN TRANSPLANTATION. POSITIVE RESULTS WOULD INDICATE PROMISING AREAS TO PURSUE IN A FOLLOW-UP STUDY. DESIGN: SIX PARTICIPANTS MET FOR 10 SESSIONS OVER 4 WEEKS. THE RESEARCH TEAM MEASURED EACH PARTICIPANT'S HEART RATE, HRV, BLOOD PRESSURE (BP), AND IMMEDIATE MOOD BEFORE AND AFTER THE LAUGHTER AND CONTROL INTERVENTIONS. THE TEAM ASSESSED PARTICIPANTS' LONGER-TERM MOOD (ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION) AT THE STUDY'S INITIATION, AFTER A NO-TREATMENT CONTROL WEEK, AND AT THE END OF THE STUDY. SETTING: THE STUDY OCCURRED AT THE DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY AND MEDICINE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA HEALTH SCIENCES CENTER, TUCSON. PARTICIPANTS: PARTICIPANTS WERE PATIENTS AWAITING TRANSPLANTS (THREE HEART AND THREE LUNG), TWO WOMEN AND FOUR MEN (AGES 51-69 Y). PARTICIPANTS HAD RECEIVED NO MAJOR SURGERY IN THE 3 MONTHS PRIOR TO THE INTERVENTION, DID NOT HAVE A HERNIA OR UNCONTROLLED HYPERTENSION, AND DID NOT FALL INTO THE NEW YORK HEART ASSOCIATION FUNCTION CLASS 4. INTERVENTION: THE 20-MINUTE LAUGHTER INTERVENTION INVOLVED BREATHING AND STRETCHING EXERCISES, SIMULATED LAUGHTER (IE, UNCONDITIONAL LAUGHTER THAT IS NOT CONTINGENT ON THE ENVIRONMENT), CHANTING, CLAPPING, AND A MEDITATION. THE 20-MINUTE CONTROL INTERVENTION INVOLVED THE STUDY'S PERSONNEL DISCUSSING HEALTH AND STUDY-RELATED TOPICS WITH THE PARTICIPANTS. OUTCOME MEASURES: THE RESEARCH TEAM MEASURED BP, HEART RATE, AND HRV AND ADMINISTERED THE PROFILE OF MOOD STATES, BECK ANXIETY INVENTORY, AND BECK DEPRESSION INVENTORY-II TO EVALUATE IMMEDIATE AND LONGER-TERM MOOD. THE TEAM HAD PLANNED QUANTITATIVE STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF THE DATA AT THE STUDY'S INITIATION BUT DID NOT COMPLETE IT BECAUSE THE NUMBER OF ENROLLED PARTICIPANTS WAS TOO LOW FOR THE ANALYSIS TO BE MEANINGFUL. THE TEAM VISUALLY EXAMINED THE DATA, HOWEVER, FOR TRENDS THAT WOULD INDICATE AREAS TO EXAMINE FURTHER IN A FOLLOW-UP STUDY. RESULTS: PARTICIPANTS SHOWED IMPROVED IMMEDIATE MOOD (VIGOR-ACTIVITY AND FRIENDLINESS) AND INCREASED HRV AFTER THE LAUGHTER INTERVENTION. BOTH THE LAUGHTER AND CONTROL INTERVENTIONS APPEARED TO IMPROVE LONGER-TERM ANXIETY. TWO PARTICIPANTS AWAITING A LUNG TRANSPLANT DROPPED OUT OF THE STUDY, AND NO ADVERSE EVENTS OCCURRED. CONCLUSION: THIS PILOT STUDY SUGGESTS THAT LAUGHTER YOGA MAY IMPROVE HRV AND SOME ASPECTS OF MOOD, AND THIS TOPIC WARRANTS FURTHER RESEARCH. 2012 12 2763 38 YOGA PROGRAM FOR TYPE 2 DIABETES PREVENTION (YOGA-DP) AMONG HIGH-RISK PEOPLE: QUALITATIVE STUDY TO EXPLORE REASONS FOR NON-PARTICIPATION IN A FEASIBILITY RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL IN INDIA. BACKGROUND: YOGA-BASED INTERVENTIONS CAN BE EFFECTIVE IN PREVENTING TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS (T2DM). WE DEVELOPED A YOGA PROGRAM FOR T2DM PREVENTION (YOGA-DP) AMONG HIGH-RISK PEOPLE AND CONDUCTED A FEASIBILITY RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL (RCT) IN INDIA. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO IDENTIFY AND EXPLORE WHY POTENTIAL PARTICIPANTS DECLINED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE FEASIBILITY RCT. METHODS: AN EXPLORATORY QUALITATIVE STUDY, USING SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEWS, WAS CONDUCTED AT A YOGA CENTER IN NEW DELHI, INDIA. FOURTEEN PEOPLE (10 WOMEN AND FOUR MEN) WHO DECLINED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE FEASIBILITY RCT WERE INTERVIEWED, AND 13 OF THEM COMPLETED THE NON-PARTICIPANT QUESTIONNAIRE, WHICH CAPTURED THEIR SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHICS, DIETS, PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES, AND REASONS FOR DECLINING. RESULTS: THREE TYPES OF BARRIERS WERE IDENTIFIED AND EXPLORED WHICH PREVENTED PARTICIPATION IN THE FEASIBILITY RCT: (1) PERSONAL BARRIERS, SUCH AS LACK OF TIME, PERCEIVED SUFFICIENCY OF KNOWLEDGE, PREFERENCES ABOUT SELF-MANAGEMENT OF HEALTH, AND TRUST IN OTHER TRADITIONAL AND ALTERNATIVE THERAPIES; (2) CONTEXTUAL BARRIERS, SUCH AS SOCIAL INFLUENCES AND LACK OF AWARENESS ABOUT PREVENTIVE CARE; AND (3) STUDY-RELATED BARRIERS, SUCH AS LACK OF STUDY INFORMATION, POOR ACCESSIBILITY TO THE YOGA SITE, AND LACK OF TRUST IN THE STUDY METHODS AND INTERVENTION. CONCLUSIONS: WE IDENTIFIED AND EXPLORED PERSONAL, CONTEXTUAL, AND STUDY-RELATED BARRIERS TO PARTICIPATION IN A FEASIBILITY RCT IN INDIA. THE FINDINGS WILL HELP TO ADDRESS RECRUITMENT CHALLENGES IN FUTURE YOGA AND OTHER RCTS. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION:WWW.CLINICALTRIALS.GOV, IDENTIFIER: CTRI/2019/05/018893. 2021 13 478 40 CLINICAL CASE REPORT: YOGA FOR FATIGUE IN FIVE YOUNG ADULT SURVIVORS OF CHILDHOOD CANCER. PURPOSE: CANCER-RELATED FATIGUE (CRF) IS A DISTRESSING CONSEQUENCE OF CANCER AND ITS TREATMENT. CRF IMPACTS MANY YOUNG ADULT (YA) SURVIVORS OF CHILDHOOD CANCER, COMPROMISING WORK, SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS, AND DAILY ACTIVITIES. NO SATISFACTORY TREATMENT EXISTS. THIS PILOT STUDY AIMED TO ASSESS THE FEASIBILITY, SAFETY, AND PRELIMINARY EFFICACY OF AN 8-WEEK TWICE/WEEK IYENGAR YOGA (IY) INTERVENTION FOR TREATING PERSISTENT FATIGUE IN YA SURVIVORS OF CHILDHOOD CANCER. METHODS: USING A SINGLE-ARM MIXED-METHODS DESIGN, ADULT CHILDHOOD CANCER SURVIVORS AGED BETWEEN 18 AND 39 YEARS WERE RECRUITED FROM A SURVIVORSHIP CLINIC AT A SINGLE INSTITUTION. QUANTITATIVE: THE PRIMARY OUTCOME WAS FATIGUE AS MEASURED BY THE FUNCTIONAL ASSESSMENT OF CHRONIC ILLNESS THERAPY-FATIGUE. SECONDARY OUTCOMES INCLUDED VITALITY, SOCIAL FUNCTIONING, MULTIDIMENSIONAL FATIGUE, MOOD, AND SLEEP. WEEKLY SELF-REPORT MONITORING DATA WERE COLLECTED. QUALITATIVE: PARTICIPANTS ALSO COMPLETED A POST-INTERVENTION INTERVIEW, MAJOR THEMES EVALUATED. RESULTS: FIVE PARTICIPANTS ENROLLED INTO THE STUDY AND FOUR COMPLETED THE INTERVENTION. ATTENDANCE WAS 92% AND THERE WERE NO ADVERSE EVENTS. BASELINE MOBILITY WAS HIGHLY VARIED, WITH ONE YA HAVING HAD A HEMIPELVECTOMY. QUANTITATIVE DATA REVEALED SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED FATIGUE, SOCIAL FUNCTIONING, SOMATIZATION, AND GENERAL AND EMOTIONAL MANIFESTATIONS OF FATIGUE FOLLOWING YOGA. QUALITATIVE DATA CROSS VALIDATED, CLARIFIED, AND EXPANDED UPON THE QUANTITATIVE FINDINGS. CONCLUSIONS: THE STUDY SUGGESTS THAT A BRIEF IY INTERVENTION IS SAFE FOR YA SURVIVORS OF CHILDHOOD CANCER, EVEN FOR THOSE WITH PHYSICAL DISABILITIES. PRELIMINARY EFFICACY WAS DEMONSTRATED FOR THE PRIMARY OUTCOME OF FATIGUE. QUALITATIVE DATA ELUCIDATED ADDITIONAL IMPROVEMENTS, SUCH AS WORK-RELATED SOCIAL FUNCTIONING, AND A SENSE OF CALM AND RELAXATION. 2017 14 9 40 "I'M MORE IN BALANCE": A QUALITATIVE STUDY OF YOGA FOR PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC NECK PAIN. OBJECTIVES: THIS STUDY INVESTIGATED THE PERCEIVED INFLUENCE OF YOGA ON BODY PERCEPTION AND PSYCHOSOCIAL ASPECTS OF LIFE FOR PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC NECK PAIN. DESIGN: THIS QUALITATIVE STUDY WAS CONDUCTED USING SEMISTANDARDIZED INTERVIEWS. SETTING: THE INTERVENTIONS AND INTERVIEWS TOOK PLACE IN A REFERRAL CENTER'S RESEARCH DEPARTMENT. SUBJECTS: EIGHTEEN (18) PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC NONSPECIFIC NECK PAIN WERE RECRUITED FROM A LARGER RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL OF YOGA FOR CHRONIC NECK PAIN. INTERVENTIONS: PARTICIPANTS ATTENDED 90 MINUTES OF IYENGAR YOGA ONCE A WEEK FOR 9 WEEKS. OUTCOME MEASURES: PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED A DRAWING OF THEIR NECK AND SHOULDER REGIONS TO REFLECT THEIR SUBJECTIVE BODY PERCEPTIONS BEFORE AND AFTER THEIR YOGA PROGRAM. SEMISTANDARDIZED INTERVIEWS WERE USED TO EXPLORE THEIR BODY PERCEPTION, EMOTIONAL STATUS, EVERYDAY LIFE AND COPING SKILLS, AS WELL AS ANY PERCEIVED CHANGES IN THESE DIMENSIONS POSTPARTICIPATION. AN INTERDISCIPLINARY GROUP ANALYZED THE STUDY DATA USING CONTENT ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES. RESULTS: PARTICIPANTS REPORTED CHANGE ON FIVE DIMENSIONS OF HUMAN EXPERIENCE: PHYSICAL, COGNITIVE, EMOTIONAL, BEHAVIORAL, AND SOCIAL. PHYSICALLY, MOST PARTICIPANTS CITED RENEWED BODY AWARENESS, BOTH DURING THEIR YOGA PRACTICE AND IN THEIR DAILY LIVES. SUCH CHANGE WAS ECHOED IN THEIR POSTPARTICIPATION BODY DRAWINGS. COGNITIVELY, PARTICIPANTS REPORTED INCREASED PERCEIVED CONTROL OVER THEIR HEALTH. EMOTIONALLY, THEY NOTED GREATER ACCEPTANCE OF THEIR PAIN AND LIFE BURDENS. BEHAVIORALLY, THEY DESCRIBED ENHANCED USE OF ACTIVE COPING STRATEGIES. FINALLY, SOCIALLY, THEY REPORTED RENEWED PARTICIPATION IN AN ACTIVE LIFE. CONCLUSIONS: PARTICIPANTS LINKED YOGA TO CHANGE ON ALL DIMENSIONS OF HUMAN EXPERIENCE, ATTRIBUTING REDUCED PAIN LEVELS, INCREASED COPING ABILITY, BETTER PAIN ACCEPTANCE AND INCREASED CONTROL TO IT. BODY AWARENESS APPEARED A KEY MECHANISM IN THESE CHANGES. 2013 15 1862 46 RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL OF YOGA AMONG A MULTIETHNIC SAMPLE OF BREAST CANCER PATIENTS: EFFECTS ON QUALITY OF LIFE. PURPOSE: THIS STUDY EXAMINES THE IMPACT OF YOGA, INCLUDING PHYSICAL POSES, BREATHING, AND MEDITATION EXERCISES, ON QUALITY OF LIFE (QOL), FATIGUE, DISTRESSED MOOD, AND SPIRITUAL WELL-BEING AMONG A MULTIETHNIC SAMPLE OF BREAST CANCER PATIENTS. PATIENTS AND METHODS: ONE HUNDRED TWENTY-EIGHT PATIENTS (42% AFRICAN AMERICAN, 31% HISPANIC) RECRUITED FROM AN URBAN CANCER CENTER WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED (2:1 RATIO) TO A 12-WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION (N = 84) OR A 12-WEEK WAITLIST CONTROL GROUP (N = 44). CHANGES IN QOL (EG, FUNCTIONAL ASSESSMENT OF CANCER THERAPY) FROM BEFORE RANDOM ASSIGNMENT (T1) TO THE 3-MONTH FOLLOW-UP (T3) WERE EXAMINED; PREDICTORS OF ADHERENCE WERE ALSO ASSESSED. NEARLY HALF OF ALL PATIENTS WERE RECEIVING MEDICAL TREATMENT. RESULTS: REGRESSION ANALYSES INDICATED THAT THE CONTROL GROUP HAD A GREATER DECREASE IN SOCIAL WELL-BEING COMPARED WITH THE INTERVENTION GROUP AFTER CONTROLLING FOR BASELINE SOCIAL WELL-BEING AND COVARIATES (P < .0001). SECONDARY ANALYSES OF 71 PATIENTS NOT RECEIVING CHEMOTHERAPY DURING THE INTERVENTION PERIOD INDICATED FAVORABLE OUTCOMES FOR THE INTERVENTION GROUP COMPARED WITH THE CONTROL GROUP IN OVERALL QOL (P < .008), EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING (P < .015), SOCIAL WELL-BEING (P < .004), SPIRITUAL WELL-BEING (P < .009), AND DISTRESSED MOOD (P < .031). SIXTY-NINE PERCENT OF INTERVENTION PARTICIPANTS ATTENDED CLASSES (MEAN NUMBER OF CLASSES ATTENDED BY ACTIVE CLASS PARTICIPANTS = 7.00 +/- 3.80), WITH LOWER ADHERENCE ASSOCIATED WITH INCREASED FATIGUE (P < .001), RADIOTHERAPY (P < .0001), YOUNGER AGE (P < .008), AND NO ANTIESTROGEN THERAPY (P < .02). CONCLUSION: DESPITE LIMITED ADHERENCE, THIS INTENT-TO-TREAT ANALYSIS SUGGESTS THAT YOGA IS ASSOCIATED WITH BENEFICIAL EFFECTS ON SOCIAL FUNCTIONING AMONG A MEDICALLY DIVERSE SAMPLE OF BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS. AMONG PATIENTS NOT RECEIVING CHEMOTHERAPY, YOGA APPEARS TO ENHANCE EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING AND MOOD AND MAY SERVE TO BUFFER DETERIORATION IN BOTH OVERALL AND SPECIFIC DOMAINS OF QOL. 2007 16 551 34 CONVENIENT AND LIVE MOVEMENT (CALM) FOR WOMEN UNDERGOING BREAST CANCER TREATMENT: CHALLENGES AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR INTERNET-BASED YOGA RESEARCH. OBJECTIVE: TO CONDUCT A PILOT TRIAL OF INTERNET-BASED, CANCER-ADAPTED YOGA FOR WOMEN RECEIVING BREAST CANCER TREATMENT. DESIGN: WOMEN UNDERGOING RADIATION OR CHEMOTHERAPY FOR BREAST CANCER WERE RECRUITED FOR 12, 75-MIN, BIWEEKLY, CANCER-ADAPTED YOGA CLASSES DELIVERED VIA INTERNET-BASED, MULTIPOINT VIDEOCONFERENCING. DATA WERE COLLECTED ON FEASIBILITY AND ACCEPTABILITY, INCLUDING QUALITATIVE FEEDBACK FROM PARTICIPANTS AND THE YOGA INSTRUCTOR. RESULTS: AMONG 42 WOMEN APPROACHED, 13 DECLINED ELIGIBILITY SCREENING, AND 23 WERE INELIGIBLE. ALL 6 WOMEN WHO WERE ELIGIBLE PROVIDED CONSENT, BUT 2 WITHDREW PRIOR TO BEGINNING YOGA CLASSES. THE REMAINING 4 PARTICIPANTS ATTENDED 1-11 OF 12 ONLINE YOGA CLASSES. IN POST-INTERVENTION INTERVIEWS, PARTICIPANTS AND THE INSTRUCTOR AGREED THAT INTERNET-BASED YOGA CLASSES HOLD GREAT POTENTIAL FOR INCREASING ACCESS AND IMPROVING PSYCHOLOGICAL OUTCOMES IN ADULTS WITH CANCER. QUALITATIVE FEEDBACK FROM PARTICIPANTS REVEALED SUGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE TRIALS OF INTERNET-BASED, CANCER-ADAPTED YOGA CLASSES, INCLUDING: CONTINUED USE OF GROUP FORMAT; OFFERING MORE VARIED CLASS TIMES TO ACCOMMODATE PATIENTS' DEMANDING SCHEDULES AND FLUCTUATING SYMPTOMS; ENROLLING PATIENTS AFTER THEY HAVE ACCLIMATED TO OR COMPLETED CANCER TREATMENT; STREAMLINING THE TECHNOLOGY INTERFACE; AND CAREFUL ATTENTION TO PARTICIPANT BURDEN WHEN DESIGNING SURVEYS/FORMS. THE INSTRUCTOR RECOMMENDED CLOSED SESSION COURSES, AS OPPOSED TO ROLLING ENROLLMENT; TEACHING THE SAME MODIFIED POSES FOR ALL PARTICIPANTS, RATHER THAN INDIVIDUAL TAILORING; AND USING A LARGE SCREEN TO ALLOW CLOSER MONITORING OF STUDENTS' CLASS EXPERIENCE. CONCLUSIONS: INTERNET DELIVERY MAY INCREASE PATIENTS' ACCESS TO CANCER-ADAPTED YOGA CLASSES, BUT CANCER-RELATED AND TECHNOLOGICAL BARRIERS REMAIN. THIS STUDY INFORMS HOW TO OPTIMALLY DESIGN YOGA CLASSES, TECHNOLOGY, AND RESEARCH PROCEDURES TO MAXIMIZE FEASIBILITY AND ACCEPTABILITY IN FUTURE TRIALS. 2018 17 388 41 BENEFITS OF THE RESTORATIVE EXERCISE AND STRENGTH TRAINING FOR OPERATIONAL RESILIENCE AND EXCELLENCE YOGA PROGRAM FOR CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN IN SERVICE MEMBERS: A PILOT RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. OBJECTIVE: TO EXAMINE THE FEASIBILITY AND PRELIMINARY EFFECTIVENESS OF AN INDIVIDUALIZED YOGA PROGRAM. DESIGN: PILOT RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. SETTING: MILITARY MEDICAL CENTER. PARTICIPANTS: PATIENTS (N=68) WITH CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN. INTERVENTIONS: RESTORATIVE EXERCISE AND STRENGTH TRAINING FOR OPERATIONAL RESILIENCE AND EXCELLENCE (RESTORE) PROGRAM (9-12 INDIVIDUAL YOGA SESSIONS) OR TREATMENT AS USUAL (CONTROL) FOR AN 8-WEEK PERIOD. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: THE PRIMARY OUTCOME WAS PAST 24-HOUR PAIN (DEFENSE & VETERANS PAIN RATING SCALE 2.0). SECONDARY OUTCOMES INCLUDED DISABILITY (ROLAND-MORRIS DISABILITY QUESTIONNAIRE) AND PHYSICAL FUNCTIONING AND SYMPTOM BURDEN (PATIENT-REPORTED OUTCOMES MEASUREMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM-29 SUBSCALES). ASSESSMENT OCCURRED AT BASELINE, WEEK 4, WEEK 8, 3-MONTH FOLLOW-UP, AND 6-MONTH FOLLOW-UP. EXPLORATORY OUTCOMES INCLUDED THE PROPORTION OF PARTICIPANTS IN EACH GROUP REPORTING CLINICALLY MEANINGFUL CHANGES AT 3- AND 6-MONTH FOLLOW-UPS. RESULTS: GENERALIZED LINEAR MIXED MODELS WITH SEQUENTIAL BONFERRONI-ADJUSTED PAIRWISE SIGNIFICANCE TESTS AND CHI-SQUARE ANALYSES EXAMINED LONGITUDINAL OUTCOMES. SECONDARY OUTCOME SIGNIFICANCE TESTS WERE BONFERRONI ADJUSTED FOR MULTIPLE OUTCOMES. THE RESTORE GROUP REPORTED IMPROVED PAIN COMPARED WITH THE CONTROL GROUP. SECONDARY OUTCOMES DID NOT RETAIN SIGNIFICANCE AFTER BONFERRONI ADJUSTMENTS FOR MULTIPLE OUTCOMES, ALTHOUGH A HIGHER PROPORTION OF RESTORE PARTICIPANTS REPORTED CLINICALLY MEANINGFULLY CHANGES IN ALL OUTCOMES AT 3-MONTH FOLLOW-UP AND IN SYMPTOM BURDEN AT 6-MONTH FOLLOW-UP. CONCLUSIONS: RESTORE MAY BE A VIABLE NONPHARMACOLOGICAL TREATMENT FOR LOW BACK PAIN WITH MINIMAL SIDE EFFECTS, AND RESEARCH EFFORTS ARE NEEDED TO COMPARE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF RESTORE DELIVERY FORMATS (EG, GROUP VS INDIVIDUAL) WITH THAT OF OTHER TREATMENT MODALITIES. 2018 18 2628 41 YOGA FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF PAIN AND SLEEP IN RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS: A PILOT RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. OBJECTIVE: THE AIM OF THE PRESENT STUDY WAS TO DETERMINE THE FEASIBILITY OF A RELAXATION-BASED YOGA INTERVENTION FOR RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS, DESIGNED AND REPORTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH DELPHI RECOMMENDATIONS FOR YOGA INTERVENTIONS FOR MUSCULOSKELETAL CONDITIONS. METHODS: PARTICIPANTS WERE RECRUITED FROM A HOSPITAL DATABASE, AND RANDOMIZED TO EITHER EIGHT WEEKLY 75-MIN YOGA CLASSES OR A USUAL CARE CONTROL. FEASIBILITY WAS DETERMINED BY RECRUITMENT RATES, RETENTION, PROTOCOL ADHERENCE, PARTICIPANT SATISFACTION AND ADVERSE EVENTS. SECONDARY PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOSOCIAL OUTCOMES WERE ASSESSED USING SELF-REPORTED QUESTIONNAIRES AT BASELINE (WEEK 0), WEEK 9 (PRIMARY TIME POINT) AND WEEK 12 (FOLLOW-UP). RESULTS: OVER A 3-MONTH PERIOD, 26 PARTICIPANTS WITH MILD PAIN, MILD TO MODERATE FUNCTIONAL DISABILITY AND MODERATE DISEASE ACTIVITY WERE RECRUITED INTO THE STUDY (25% RECRUITMENT RATE). RETENTION RATES WERE 100% FOR YOGA PARTICIPANTS AND 92% FOR USUAL CARE PARTICIPANTS AT BOTH WEEKS 9 AND 12. PROTOCOL ADHERENCE AND PARTICIPANT SATISFACTION WERE HIGH. YOGA PARTICIPANTS ATTENDED A MEDIAN OF SEVEN CLASSES; ADDITIONALLY, SEVEN OF THE YOGA PARTICIPANTS (54%) REPORTED CONTINUING YOGA AT HOME DURING THE FOLLOW-UP PERIOD. NO SERIOUS ADVERSE EVENTS WERE RELATED TO THE STUDY. SECONDARY OUTCOMES SHOWED NO GROUP EFFECTS OF YOGA COMPARED WITH USUAL CARE. CONCLUSIONS: A RELAXATION-BASED YOGA PROGRAMME WAS FOUND TO BE FEASIBLE AND SAFE FOR PARTICIPANTS WITH RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS-RELATED PAIN AND FUNCTIONAL DISABILITY. ADVERSE EVENTS WERE MINOR, AND NOT UNEXPECTED FROM AN INTERVENTION INCLUDING PHYSICAL COMPONENTS. THIS PILOT PROVIDES A FRAMEWORK FOR LARGER INTERVENTION STUDIES, AND SUPPORTS FURTHER EXPLORATION OF YOGA AS A COMPLEX INTERVENTION TO ASSIST WITH THE MANAGEMENT OF RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS. 2018 19 1215 43 EXPLORING THE EFFECTS OF YOGA THERAPY ON HEART RATE VARIABILITY AND PATIENT-REPORTED OUTCOMES AFTER CANCER TREATMENT: A STUDY PROTOCOL. BACKGROUND: FOLLOWING CANCER TREATMENT, ADULTS COMMONLY REPORT WORSENED PATIENT-REPORTED OUTCOMES (PROS) SUCH AS ANXIETY, STRESS, DEPRESSION, PERSISTENT AND UPSETTING COGNITIVE COMPLAINTS, UNRELENTING FATIGUE, AND REDUCED QUALITY OF LIFE. POORER PROS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH DISRUPTED AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM FUNCTIONING AS MEASURED BY HEART RATE VARIABILITY (HRV), BOTH OF WHICH HAVE BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH GREATER MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY. INTERVENTIONS TO IMPROVE HRV AND PROS AMONG ADULTS FOLLOWING CANCER TREATMENT ARE NEEDED. YOGA THERAPY HOLDS PROMISE AS AN INTERVENTION TO IMPROVE HRV AND PROS. THEREFORE, WE CONDUCTED A SINGLE-SUBJECT EXPLORATORY EXPERIMENTAL STUDY TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFECTS OF YOGA THERAPY ON HRV AND SPECIFIC PROS (IE, CANCER-RELATED FATIGUE, ANXIETY, COGNITIVE FUNCTION, DEPRESSION, STRESS, QUALITY OF LIFE) IN ADULTS TREATED FOR CANCER. TO REDUCE PUBLICATION BIAS, IMPROVE REPRODUCIBILITY, AND SERVE AS A REFERENCE FOR FORTHCOMING REPORTING OF STUDY RESULTS, WE PRESENT THE STUDY PROTOCOL FOR THIS STUDY HEREIN. METHODS: PARTICIPANTS WERE ADULTS WHO COMPLETED CANCER TREATMENT THAT WERE RECRUITED FROM THE OTTAWA INTEGRATIVE CANCER CENTRE. CONSENTING AND ELIGIBLE PARTICIPANTS RECEIVED ONE 1:1 YOGA THERAPY SESSION (IE, 1 PARTICIPANT, 1 YOGA THERAPIST) AND 6 WEEKLY GROUP-BASED YOGA THERAPY SESSIONS (IE, 2-3 PARTICIPANTS, 1 YOGA THERAPIST). PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED ASSESSMENTS 7 TIMES: 3 TIMES PRIOR TO THE PROGRAM (IE, -6 WEEKS, -3 WEEKS, IMMEDIATELY PRIOR TO THE 1:1 YOGA THERAPY SESSION), IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE 1:1 YOGA THERAPY SESSION, PRIOR TO THE FIRST GROUP-BASED YOGA THERAPY SESSION, AFTER THE LAST GROUP-BASED YOGA THERAPY SESSION, AND AT A 6-WEEK FOLLOW-UP. HIERARCHICAL LINEAR MODELING WILL BE USED TO TEST THE AVERAGE EFFECTS OF THE YOGA THERAPY PROGRAM ACROSS PARTICIPANTS. DISCUSSION: THIS STUDY WILL EXPLORE SEVERAL NOVEL HYPOTHESES, INCLUDING WHETHER YOGA THERAPY CAN IMPROVE HRV AND/OR SPECIFIC PROS AMONG ADULTS TREATED FOR CANCER ACUTELY (IE, DURING A 1:1 YOGA THERAPY SESSION) AND/OR THROUGH REPEATED EXPOSURE (IE, AFTER COMPLETING 6 WEEKS OF GROUP-BASED YOGA THERAPY). ALTHOUGH THE FINDINGS WILL REQUIRE CONFIRMATION OR REFUTATION IN FUTURE TRIALS, THEY MAY PROVIDE INITIAL EVIDENCE THAT YT MAY BENEFIT ADULTS TREATED FOR CANCER. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN REGISTRY, ISRCTN64763228. REGISTERED ON DECEMBER 12, 2021. THIS TRIAL WAS REGISTERED RETROSPECTIVELY. URL OF TRIAL REGISTRY RECORD: HTTPS://WWW.ISRCTN.COM/ISRCTN64763228. 2022 20 1787 41 PREFERENCE AND EXPECTATION FOR TREATMENT ASSIGNMENT IN A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL OF ONCE- VS TWICE-WEEKLY YOGA FOR CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN. BACKGROUND: IN STUDIES INVOLVING NONPHARMACOLOGICAL COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE INTERVENTIONS, PARTICIPANT BLINDING IS VERY DIFFICULT. PARTICIPANT EXPECTATIONS MAY AFFECT PERCEIVED BENEFIT OF THERAPY. IN STUDIES OF YOGA AS TREATMENT FOR CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN, LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PATIENT EXPECTATIONS AND PREFERENCES ON OUTCOMES. THIS STUDY WAS DESIGNED TO IDENTIFY BASELINE PREDICTORS OF PREFERENCE AND TO DETERMINE IF EXPECTATIONS AND PREFERENCES FOR DIFFERENT DOSES OF YOGA AFFECT BACK-RELATED FUNCTION AND LOW BACK PAIN INTENSITY. METHODS: THIS WAS A SECONDARY DATA ANALYSIS OF A 12-WEEK RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL COMPARING ONCE-WEEKLY VS TWICE-WEEKLY YOGA FOR TREATMENT OF CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN IN 93 ADULTS FROM A PREDOMINANTLY LOW-INCOME MINORITY POPULATION. AT BASELINE, PARTICIPANTS WERE ASKED ABOUT BACK FUNCTION, BACK PAIN, TREATMENT EXPECTATIONS, AND TREATMENT PREFERENCES. WE CREATED A VARIABLE "CONCORDANCE" TO DESCRIBE THE MATCHING OF PARTICIPANT PREFERENCE TO RANDOMIZED TREATMENT. OUR OUTCOME VARIABLES WERE CHANGE IN BACK FUNCTION AND PAIN INTENSITY AFTER 12 WEEKS OF YOGA INSTRUCTION. WE PERFORMED LOGISTIC REGRESSION TO IDENTIFY PREDICTORS OF PREFERENCE FOR ONCE- OR TWICE-WEEKLY YOGA INSTRUCTION. WE CREATED LINEAR REGRESSION MODELS TO IDENTIFY INDEPENDENT ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN EXPECTATIONS, PREFERENCE, CONCORDANCE, AND OUTCOMES. RESULTS: WORSE BACK FUNCTION AT BASELINE WAS ASSOCIATED WITH 20% HIGHER ODDS OF PREFERRING TWICE-WEEKLY YOGA (OR 1.2, CI 1.1, 1.3). INDIVIDUALS WITH HIGHER EXPECTATION SCORES FOR TWICE-WEEKLY YOGA HAD 90% HIGHER ODDS OF PREFERRING TWICE-WEEKLY VS ONCE-WEEKLY YOGA (OR 1.9, CI 1.3, 2.7). INDIVIDUALS WITH HIGHER EXPECTATION SCORES FOR ONCE-WEEKLY YOGA HAD 40% LESS ODDS OF PREFERRING TWICE-WEEKLY YOGA (OR 0.6, CI 0.5, 0.9). AFTER CONTROLLING FOR BASELINE CHARACTERISTICS, WE FOUND NO STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TREATMENT OUTCOMES, PREFERENCE, EXPECTATION SCORES, OR CONCORDANCE. CONCLUSION: IN A POPULATION OF PREDOMINANTLY LOW-INCOME MINORITY PARTICIPANTS WITH CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN, WORSE BACK FUNCTION WAS ASSOCIATED WITH PREFERENCE FOR MORE FREQUENT YOGA CLASSES. THOSE WHO PREFERRED MORE YOGA CLASSES HAD HIGHER EXPECTATIONS FOR THOSE CLASSES. TWELVE-WEEK CHANGE IN BACK PAIN INTENSITY AND BACK FUNCTION WERE NOT AFFECTED BY DOSING PREFERENCE, EXPECTATION SCORE, OR CONCORDANCE. MORE RESEARCH IS NEEDED TO BETTER MEASURE AND QUANTIFY PREFERENCE, EXPECTATIONS, AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO OUTCOMES IN YOGA RESEARCH. 2015