1  473 150 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	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 
2 1662  39 NATIONAL SURVEY OF YOGA PRACTITIONERS: MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH BENEFITS. OBJECTIVES: TO DESCRIBE YOGA PRACTICE AND HEALTH CHARACTERISTICS OF INDIVIDUALS WHO PRACTICE YOGA, AND TO EXPLORE THEIR BELIEFS REGARDING THE EFFECTS OF THEIR YOGA PRACTICE ON THEIR HEALTH. DESIGN: A CROSS-SECTIONAL DESIGN WITH ANONYMOUS ONLINE SURVEYS. SETTING: 4307 RANDOMLY SELECTED INDIVIDUALS FROM 15 US IYENGAR YOGA STUDIOS (N=18,160), REPRESENTING 41 STATES; 1087 INDIVIDUALS RESPONDED, WITH 1045 (24.3%) SURVEYS COMPLETED. OUTCOME MEASURES: FREIBERG MINDFULNESS INVENTORY, MENTAL HEALTH CONTINUUM (SUBJECTIVE WELL-BEING), MULTI-FACTOR SCREENER (DIET), PROMIS SLEEP DISTURBANCE, FATIGUE, AND SOCIAL SUPPORT, INTERNATIONAL PHYSICAL ACTIVITY QUESTIONNAIRE. RESULTS: AGE: 19-87 YEARS (M=51.7 +/- 11.7), 84.2% FEMALE, 89.2% WHITE, 87.4% WELL EDUCATED (>/= BACHELOR'S DEGREE). MEAN YEARS OF YOGA PRACTICE=11.4 (+/- 7.5). BMI=12.1-49.4 (M=23.1 +/- 3.9). LEVELS OF OBESITY (4.9%), SMOKING (2%), AND FRUIT AND VEGETABLE CONSUMPTION (M=6.1 +/- 1.1) WERE FAVORABLE COMPARED TO NATIONAL NORMS. 60% REPORTED AT LEAST ONE CHRONIC/SERIOUS HEALTH CONDITION, YET MOST REPORTED VERY GOOD (46.3%) OR EXCELLENT (38.8%) GENERAL HEALTH. DESPITE HIGH LEVELS OF DEPRESSION (24.8%), NEARLY ALL WERE MODERATELY MENTALLY HEALTHY (55.2%) OR FLOURISHING (43.8%). PARTICIPANTS AGREED YOGA IMPROVED: ENERGY (84.5%), HAPPINESS (86.5%), SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS (67%), SLEEP (68.5%), AND WEIGHT (57.3%), AND BELIEFS DID NOT DIFFER SUBSTANTIALLY ACCORDING TO RACE OR GENDER. THE MORE THEY PRACTICED YOGA, WHETHER IN YEARS OR IN AMOUNT OF CLASS OR HOME PRACTICE, THE HIGHER THEIR ODDS OF BELIEVING YOGA IMPROVED THEIR HEALTH. CONCLUSIONS: INDIVIDUALS WHO PRACTICE YOGA ARE NOT FREE OF HEALTH CONCERNS, BUT MOST BELIEVE THEIR HEALTH IMPROVED BECAUSE OF YOGA. YOGA MIGHT BE BENEFICIAL FOR A NUMBER OF POPULATIONS INCLUDING ELDERLY WOMEN AND THOSE WITH CHRONIC HEALTH CONDITIONS.	2013	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         
3 1801  53 PREVALENCE AND PATTERNS OF ADULT YOGA USE IN THE UNITED STATES: RESULTS OF A NATIONAL SURVEY. BACKGROUND: ALTHOUGH YOGA APPEARS TO BE POPULAR IN THE UNITED STATES, THERE ARE NO PUBLISHED STUDIES ON YOGA'S PREVALENCE OR PATTERNS OF USE. METHODS: IN 1998 WE SURVEYED BY TELEPHONE A NATIONALLY REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE OF 2055 ENGLISH-SPEAKING U.S. ADULTS (60% WEIGHTED RESPONSE RATE) REGARDING YOGA USE. RESULTS: OF THE RESPONDENTS, 7.5% USED YOGA AT LEAST ONCE IN THEIR LIFETIME AND 3.8% USED YOGA IN THE PREVIOUS 12 MONTHS. RESPONDENTS WHO USED YOGA AT LEAST ONCE WERE MORE LIKELY THAN NON-USERS TO BE FEMALE (68% VS. 51%), COLLEGE EDUCATED (68% VS. 45%), AND URBAN DWELLERS (93% VS. 74%). FACTORS INDEPENDENTLY ASSOCIATED WITH YOGA USE AT LEAST ONCE INCLUDED FEMALE GENDER (OR 2.5 [95% CI 1.7-3.8]), BABY BOOMER AGE GROUP (AGES 34-53) COMPARED TO PRE-BABY BOOMERS (> OR = 54 (2.3 [1.4-4.0]), EDUCATION BEYOND HIGH SCHOOL (2.2 [1.4-3.5]), RESIDING IN LARGE AND SMALL METROPOLITAN AREAS COMPARED TO NON-METROPOLITAN AREAS (3.8 [1.8-7.8] AND 2.7 [1.3-5.8], RESPECTIVELY), AND USE OF OTHER CAM THERAPIES (5.3 [2.7-10.5]). OF RESPONDENTS USING YOGA IN THE PREVIOUS 12 MONTHS, 64% REPORTED USING YOGA FOR WELLNESS, 48% FOR HEALTH CONDITIONS, AND 21% SPECIFICALLY FOR BACK OR NECK PAIN. NINETY PERCENT FELT YOGA WAS VERY OR SOMEWHAT HELPFUL AND 76% DID NOT REPORT SPENDING MONEY RELATED TO THEIR YOGA. CONCLUSIONS: IN 1998 AN ESTIMATED 15.0 MILLION AMERICAN ADULTS HAD USED YOGA AT LEAST ONCE IN THEIR LIFETIME AND 7.4 MILLION DURING THE PREVIOUS YEAR. YOGA WAS USED FOR BOTH WELLNESS AND SPECIFIC HEALTH CONDITIONS OFTEN WITH PERCEIVED HELPFULNESS AND WITHOUT EXPENDITURE.	2004	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          
4 1646  36 MOTIVATIONS FOR ADOPTING AND MAINTAINING A YOGA PRACTICE: A NATIONAL CROSS-SECTIONAL SURVEY. BACKGROUND: YOGA PRACTICE IS BECOMING INCREASINGLY POPULAR AROUND THE WORLD, YET LITTLE IS KNOWN REGARDING WHY PEOPLE ADOPT THE PRACTICE OF YOGA OR HOW THEIR REASONS FOR PRACTICE CHANGE WITH CONTINUED PRACTICE. FURTHERMORE, WHETHER THOSE WHO PRACTICE DIFFERENT TYPES OF YOGA HAVE DIFFERENT MOTIVES REMAINS UNKNOWN. METHODS: TO ADDRESS THESE ISSUES, THE AUTHORS CONDUCTED A NATIONAL CROSS-SECTIONAL ONLINE SURVEY OF 1,702 YOGA PRACTITIONERS IN GERMANY, ASKING ABOUT DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION AND MOTIVES FOR INITIATING AND CONTINUING YOGA PRACTICE. RESULTS: THE MOST COMMON PRIMARY REASONS FOR STARTING YOGA WERE RELAXATION (26.6%) AND PREVENTION (25.5%), WHICH WERE ALSO THE MOST COMMON SECONDARY REASONS. NINE HUNDRED AND FORTY-ONE (55.3%) REPORTED A DIFFERENT PRIMARY REASON FOR MAINTAINING THAN FOR ADOPTING YOGA PRACTICE. PREVENTION (38.4%) AND SPIRITUALITY (26.4%) WERE THE MOST COMMONLY REPORTED PRIMARY REASONS FOR MAINTAINING YOGA PRACTICE. MORE HIGHLY EDUCATED PARTICIPANTS AND THOSE PRACTICING LONGER THAN 5 YEARS AT THE TIME OF THE SURVEY WERE MORE LIKELY TO HAVE REPORTED A DIFFERENT CURRENT PRIMARY REASON FOR YOGA PRACTICE THAN THAT FOR WHICH THEY STARTED PRACTICING. CONCLUSIONS: THESE RESULTS SHED LIGHT ON YOGA'S APPEAL TO NOVICES AND REGULAR PRACTITIONERS, WITH IMPORTANT IMPLICATIONS FOR MAKING YOGA APPEALING TO BEGINNERS AS WELL AS PROMOTING THE PRACTICE AS A LONG-TERM LIFESTYLE BEHAVIOR.	2019	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             
5 1271  23 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	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      
6  628  41 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	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
7 2685  40 YOGA IN THE REAL WORLD: PERCEPTIONS, MOTIVATORS, BARRIERS, AND PATTERNS OF USE. BACKGROUND: YOGA IS A MIND-BODY EXERCISE PRACTICED BY NEARLY 16 MILLION US ADULTS. CLINICAL YOGA RESEARCH HAS YIELDED PROMISING FINDINGS IN PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH OUTCOMES. HOWEVER, RESEARCH IN NON-PATIENT POPULATIONS IS LIMITED. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY IS TO SURVEY A NON-CLINICAL POPULATION TO BETTER UNDERSTAND YOGA USE IN A REAL-WORLD SETTING. METHODS: THIS STUDY USED A PRE-POST TEST DESIGN IN A CONVENIENCE SAMPLE OF ADULTS REGISTERED FOR A 4-WEEK BEGINNER YOGA PROGRAM WITHIN A NETWORK OF FIVE YOGA STUDIOS IN AUSTIN, TEXAS. STUDENTS WERE LINKED VIA E-MAIL TO BASELINE AND ENDPOINT SURVEYS. ANALYSES WERE DESCRIPTIVE. RESULTS: SIX HUNDRED FOUR STUDENTS COMPLETED THE BASELINE SURVEY, AND 290 (48%) COMPLETED THE 4-WEEK ENDPOINT SURVEY. BASELINE DEMOGRAPHICS WERE SIMILAR TO THOSE IN NATIONAL SURVEYS, WITH RESPONDENTS BEING PRIMARILY FEMALE (86%), WHITE (88%), AND COLLEGE EDUCATED (78%). THE PRIMARY BARRIER TO PRACTICE WAS TIME (55%). RESPONDENTS PERCEIVED YOGA PRIMARILY AS AN EXERCISE ACTIVITY (92%), SPIRITUAL ACTIVITY (73%), OR A WAY TO MANAGE OR TREAT A HEALTH CONDITION (50%). MAIN REASONS FOR TAKING YOGA WERE GENERAL WELLNESS (81%), PHYSICAL EXERCISE (80%), AND STRESS MANAGEMENT (73%). NINETY-EIGHT PERCENT BELIEVED YOGA WOULD IMPROVE THEIR HEALTH, WITH 28% TAKING YOGA TO ALLEVIATE A HEALTH CONDITION. ON AVERAGE, RESPONDENTS PRACTICED 3 TO 4 HOURS/ WEEK IN AND OUT OF CLASS. CONCLUSIONS: RESPONDENT DEMOGRAPHICS WERE CONSISTENT WITH NATIONAL SURVEY DATA. DATA SHOW THAT YOGA IS PERCEIVED SEVERAL WAYS. INFORMATION ON PRACTICE PATTERNS PROVIDES NEW INFORMATION, WHICH MAY IMPROVE UNDERSTANDING OF HOW NON-CLINICAL POPULATIONS INCORPORATE YOGA INTO DAILY LIFE FOR HEALTH MANAGEMENT.	2013	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                
8 1807  50 PREVALENCE, PATTERNS, AND PREDICTORS OF YOGA USE: RESULTS OF A U.S. NATIONALLY REPRESENTATIVE SURVEY. INTRODUCTION: THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO INVESTIGATE THE PREVALENCE, PATTERNS, AND PREDICTORS OF YOGA USE IN THE U.S. GENERAL POPULATION. METHODS: USING CROSS-SECTIONAL DATA FROM THE 2012 NATIONAL HEALTH INTERVIEW SURVEY FAMILY CORE, SAMPLE ADULT CORE, AND ADULT COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE QUESTIONNAIRES (N=34,525), WEIGHTED FREQUENCIES FOR LIFETIME AND 12-MONTH PREVALENCE OF YOGA USE AND PATTERNS OF YOGA PRACTICE WERE ANALYZED. USING LOGISTIC REGRESSION ANALYSES, SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC PREDICTORS OF LIFETIME YOGA USE WERE ANALYZED. ANALYSES WERE CONDUCTED IN 2015. RESULTS: LIFETIME AND 12-MONTH PREVALENCE OF YOGA USE WERE 13.2% AND 8.9%, RESPECTIVELY. COMPARED WITH NONPRACTITIONERS, LIFETIME YOGA PRACTITIONERS WERE MORE LIKELY FEMALE, YOUNGER, NON-HISPANIC WHITE, COLLEGE EDUCATED, HIGHER EARNERS, LIVING IN THE WEST, AND OF BETTER HEALTH STATUS. AMONG THOSE WHO HAD PRACTICED IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS, 51.2% ATTENDED YOGA CLASSES, 89.9% USED BREATHING EXERCISES, AND 54.9% USED MEDITATION. YOGA WAS PRACTICED FOR GENERAL WELLNESS OR DISEASE PREVENTION (78.4%), TO IMPROVE ENERGY (66.1%), OR TO IMPROVE IMMUNE FUNCTION (49.7%). BACK PAIN (19.7%), STRESS (6.4%), AND ARTHRITIS (6.4%) WERE THE MAIN SPECIFIC HEALTH PROBLEMS FOR WHICH PEOPLE PRACTICED YOGA. CONCLUSIONS: ABOUT 31 MILLION U.S. ADULTS HAVE EVER USED YOGA, AND ABOUT 21 MILLION PRACTICED YOGA IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS. DISEASE PREVENTION AND BACK PAIN RELIEF WERE THE MOST IMPORTANT HEALTH REASONS FOR YOGA PRACTICE. YOGA PRACTICE IS ASSOCIATED WITH AGE, GENDER, ETHNICITY, SES, AND HEALTH STATUS.	2016	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
9 2749  41 YOGA PRACTICE IN THE UK: A CROSS-SECTIONAL SURVEY OF MOTIVATION, HEALTH BENEFITS AND BEHAVIOURS. OBJECTIVES: DESPITE THE POPULARITY OF YOGA AND EVIDENCE OF ITS POSITIVE EFFECTS ON PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH, LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT YOGA PRACTICE IN THE UK. THIS STUDY INVESTIGATED THE CHARACTERISTICS OF PEOPLE WHO PRACTISE YOGA, REASONS FOR INITIATING AND MAINTAINING PRACTICE, AND PERCEIVED IMPACT OF YOGA ON HEALTH AND WELL-BEING. DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: A CROSS-SECTIONAL ONLINE ANONYMOUS SURVEY DISTRIBUTED THROUGH UK-BASED YOGA ORGANISATIONS, STUDIOS AND EVENTS, THROUGH EMAIL INVITES AND FLYERS. 2434 YOGA PRACTITIONERS COMPLETED THE SURVEY, INCLUDING 903 YOGA TEACHERS: 87% WERE WOMEN, 91% WHITE AND 71% DEGREE EDUCATED; MEAN AGE WAS 48.7 YEARS. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: PERCEIVED IMPACT OF YOGA ON HEALTH CONDITIONS, HEALTH OUTCOMES AND INJURIES. RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN YOGA PRACTICE AND MEASURES OF HEALTH, LIFESTYLE, STRESS AND WELL-BEING. RESULTS: IN COMPARISON WITH NATIONAL POPULATION NORMS, PARTICIPANTS REPORTED SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER WELL-BEING BUT ALSO HIGHER ANXIETY; LOWER PERCEIVED STRESS, BODY MASS INDEX AND INCIDENCE OF OBESITY, AND HIGHER RATES OF POSITIVE HEALTH BEHAVIOURS. 47% REPORTED CHANGING THEIR MOTIVATIONS TO PRACTISE YOGA, WITH GENERAL WELLNESS AND FITNESS KEY TO INITIAL UPTAKE, AND STRESS MANAGEMENT AND SPIRITUALITY IMPORTANT TO CURRENT PRACTICE. 16% OF PARTICIPANTS REPORTED STARTING YOGA TO MANAGE A PHYSICAL OR MENTAL HEALTH CONDITION. RESPONDENTS REPORTED THE VALUE OF YOGA FOR A WIDE RANGE OF HEALTH CONDITIONS, MOST NOTABLY FOR MUSCULOSKELETAL AND MENTAL HEALTH CONDITIONS. 20.7% REPORTED AT LEAST ONE YOGA-RELATED INJURY OVER THEIR LIFETIME. CONTROLLING FOR DEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS, FREQUENCY OF YOGA PRACTICE ACCOUNTED FOR SMALL BUT SIGNIFICANT VARIANCE IN HEALTH-RELATED REGRESSION MODELS (P<0.001). CONCLUSION: THE FINDINGS OF THIS FIRST DETAILED UK SURVEY WERE CONSISTENT WITH SURVEYS IN OTHER WESTERN COUNTRIES. YOGA WAS PERCEIVED TO HAVE A POSITIVE IMPACT ON PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH CONDITIONS AND WAS LINKED TO POSITIVE HEALTH BEHAVIOURS. FURTHER INVESTIGATION OF YOGA'S ROLE IN SELF-CARE COULD INFORM HEALTH-RELATED CHALLENGES FACED BY MANY COUNTRIES.	2020	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           
10 1445  51 INCREASING TREND OF YOGA PRACTICE AMONG U.S. ADULTS FROM 2002 TO 2017. INTRODUCTION: BENEFITS, RISKS, AND THE INCREASING POPULARITY OF YOGA USE WARRANT ASSESSING YOGA PRACTICE PREVALENCE AND USERS' PROFILES. THIS STUDY DESCRIBES TRENDS IN YOGA PRACTICE EXCLUSIVELY AMONG AMERICAN ADULTS FROM 2002 TO 2017, COMPARES THE PROFILE OF YOGA USERS, AND IDENTIFIES FACTORS RELATED TO YOGA USE OVER TIME. MATERIALS AND METHODS: THIS STUDY IS A SECONDARY ANALYSIS DONE IN 2019 AND 2020 USING THE NATIONAL HEALTH INTERVIEW SURVEY (NHIS) 2002, 2007, 2012, AND 2017 DATA. POPULATION WEIGHTS WERE USED TO OBTAIN STATISTICALLY ACCURATE ESTIMATES OF YOGA USE PREVALENCE FOR THE U.S. POPULATION. DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS WERE USED TO PROFILE THE SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC AND HEALTH-RELATED CHARACTERISTICS OF YOGA USERS. MULTIVARIABLE LOGISTIC REGRESSION WAS USED TO IDENTIFY FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH YOGA USE IN EACH COHORT DEFINED BY THE NHIS YEAR. RESULTS: YOGA PRACTICE PREVALENCE NEARLY TRIPLED FROM 5.1% IN 2002 TO 13.7% IN 2017 (WEIGHTED ESTIMATE 10,386,456 AND 32,761,194 AMERICAN ADULTS, RESPECTIVELY). TYPICAL YOGA USERS WERE YOUNG NON-HISPANIC SINGLE WHITE FEMALE ADULTS WITH BACHELOR OR HIGHER EDUCATION AND HEALTH INSURANCE, AND RESIDED IN THE WEST REGION OF THE UNITED STATES. YOGA USE PATTERN CHANGE OVER TIME WAS SIGNIFICANTLY RELATED TO ONLY YOUNGER AGE (P < 0.001) BUT NOT TO OTHER SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC OR HEALTH-RELATED FACTORS. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA HAS GAINED INCREASING POPULARITY IN THE PAST TWO DECADES AMONG AMERICAN ADULTS, WITH YOUNGER ADULTS BEING THE DRIVING FORCE. YOGA APPEARS TO BE ADOPTED FOR GENERAL WELL-BEING OR PREVENTION MORE THAN FOR SPECIFIC DISEASE TREATMENT. FUTURE RESEARCH SHOULD EVALUATE HOW YOGA CAN BE EFFECTIVELY AND SAFELY INTEGRATED INTO PREVENTIVE MEDICINE STRATEGIES.	2021	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  
11 2928  42 [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	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    
12  575  43 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	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      
13 2370  40 WHAT BRINGS YOUNG ADULTS TO THE YOGA MAT? CROSS-SECTIONAL ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN MOTIVATIONAL PROFILES AND PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH AMONG PARTICIPANTS IN THE PROJECT EAT-IV SURVEY. OBJECTIVES: THIS STUDY EXAMINES MOTIVATIONS FOR YOGA AND IDENTIFIES UNIQUE MOTIVATIONAL PROFILES AMONG A SAMPLE OF YOUNG ADULT YOGA PRACTITIONERS. THIS STUDY FURTHER DETERMINES HOW YOUNG ADULT YOGA PRACTITIONERS' MOTIVATIONAL PROFILES ASSOCIATE WITH PHYSICAL HEALTH BEHAVIORS AND PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS. SUBJECTS/SETTING: SURVEY DATA WERE DRAWN FROM THE FOURTH WAVE OF A LARGE, POPULATION-BASED STUDY (PROJECT EAT-IV; EATING AND ACTIVITY IN TEENS AND YOUNG ADULTS). DESIGN: LATENT CLASS ANALYSIS (LCA) WAS USED TO IDENTIFY MOTIVATIONAL PROFILES AMONG PROJECT EAT-IV PARTICIPANTS PRACTICING YOGA (N = 297; MEAN AGE: 30.8-1.7 YEARS; 79.7 % FEMALE). CROSS-SECTIONAL ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN LATENT MOTIVATIONAL PROFILES, PHYSICAL HEALTH BEHAVIORS, AND PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS WERE DETERMINED WITH UNADJUSTED AND ADJUSTED (GENDER, RACE/ETHNICITY, AND BODY MASS INDEX) GENERAL LINEAR MODELS. RESULTS: ACROSS MOTIVATIONAL PROFILES, MOST YOUNG ADULT YOGA PRACTITIONERS WERE MOTIVATED BY ENHANCED FITNESS AND STRESS REDUCTION/RELAXATION. ADDITIONAL MOTIVATIONS FOR YOGA CLUSTERED BY APPEARANCE (DESIRE TO CHANGE BODY APPEARANCE OR WEIGHT) OR MINDFULNESS (DESIRE TO INCREASE PRESENT MOMENT AWARENESS) UNDERPINNINGS. THE LCA CHARACTERIZED MOTIVATIONAL PROFILES AS "LOW APPEARANCE, LOW MINDFULNESS" (CLASS 1; N = 77), "LOW APPEARANCE, HIGH MINDFULNESS" (CLASS 2; N = 48), "HIGH APPEARANCE, LOW MINDFULNESS" (CLASS 3; N = 79), AND "HIGH APPEARANCE, HIGH MINDFULNESS" (CLASS 4; N = 93). HAVING A PROFILE WITH HIGH MINDFULNESS AND LOW APPEARANCE MOTIVATIONS (CLASS 2) WAS ASSOCIATED WITH HIGHER BODY SATISFACTION IN COMPARISON TO THE OTHER CLASSES (P < 0.001). RELATIVE TO CLASS 2, THOSE WITH LOW MINDFULNESS MOTIVATIONS (CLASS 1; CLASS 3) REPORTED LESS TOTAL PHYSICAL ACTIVITY (P = 0.002) AND THOSE WITH HIGH APPEARANCE MOTIVATIONS (CLASS 3; CLASS 4) REPORTED HIGHER COMPULSIVE EXERCISE SCORES (P = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: IN THIS SAMPLE, HIGH MINDFULNESS AND LOW APPEARANCE MOTIVATIONS FOR YOGA APPEARED OPTIMAL FOR PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH. CROSS-SECTIONAL FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT YOUNG ADULT YOGA PRACTITIONERS' MIND-BODY HEALTH MAY BE SUPPORTED BY MOTIVATIONAL UNDERPINNINGS THAT EMPHASIZE YOGA'S INTERNAL (MINDFULNESS) RATHER THAN EXTERNAL (APPEARANCE) BENEFITS.	2022	
  
14 2345  31 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	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     
15  365  38 ASSOCIATIONS OF YOGA PRACTICE, HEALTH STATUS, AND HEALTH BEHAVIOR AMONG YOGA PRACTITIONERS IN GERMANY-RESULTS OF A NATIONAL CROSS-SECTIONAL SURVEY. BACKGROUND: WHILE YOGA CAN IMPROVE HEALTH-RELATED VARIABLES AND HEALTH BEHAVIOR, DIFFERENT YOGA STYLES AND PRACTICE COMPONENTS APPEAR TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH SPECIFIC HEALTH OUTCOMES. THE AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO EXPLORE THE CONNECTION BETWEEN YOGA USE, HEALTH, AND HEALTH BEHAVIORS ACROSS DIFFERENT YOGA STYLES. METHODS: A CROSS-SECTIONAL ANONYMOUS ONLINE SURVEY (N = 1,702; 88.9% FEMALE; 93.3% GERMAN NATIONALITY; MEAN AGE 47.2 +/- 10.8 YEARS; 58.2% YOGA TEACHERS) ASSESSED YOGA PRACTICE CHARACTERISTICS, HEALTH-RELATED VARIABLES AND HEALTH BEHAVIOR. THE SURVEY WAS DISTRIBUTED IN GERMANY ONLY BUT NOT LIMITED TO GERMAN PARTICIPANTS. RESULTS: ASHTANGA YOGA (15.7%), HATHA YOGA (14.2%), AND SIVANANDA YOGA (22.4%) WERE THE MOST COMMONLY PRACTICED YOGA STYLES; PARTICIPANTS PRACTICED FOR A MEAN OF 12.7 +/- 10.0 YEARS. MOST PARTICIPANTS HAD GOOD TO EXCELLENT (96.1%) OVERALL HEALTH; 87.7% REPORTED IMPROVED HEALTH SINCE STARTING YOGA. CONTROLLING FOR SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC AND CLINICAL FACTORS, HEALTH-RELATED VARIABLES WERE MAINLY ASSOCIATED WITH FREQUENCY OF YOGA POSTURES PRACTICE (P < 0.05), HEALTH BEHAVIORS ALSO WITH YOGA PHILOSOPHY STUDY (P < 0.05). THE VARIOUS YOGA STYLES WERE ASSOCIATED WITH SPECIFIC HEALTH-RELATED VARIABLES (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: YOGA PRACTITIONERS GENERALLY HAVE A GOOD OVERALL HEALTH AND A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE. WHILE HEALTH VARIABLES ARE MAINLY ASSOCIATED WITH PRACTICE OF YOGA POSTURES, HEALTH BEHAVIORS ARE ALSO ASSOCIATED WITH THE STUDY OF YOGA PHILOSOPHY. YOGA INTERVENTIONS TARGETING PREVENTION OR HEALTH PROMOTION SHOULD INCLUDE YOGA PHILOSOPHY TO MODIFY HEALTH BEHAVIORS. THE SPECIFIC YOGA STYLE EMPLOYED MAY ALSO INFLUENCE HEALTH OUTCOMES.	2019	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
16 2661  42 YOGA IN AUSTRALIA: RESULTS OF A NATIONAL SURVEY. INTRODUCTION: THE THERAPEUTIC BENEFITS OF YOGA AND MEDITATION ARE WELL DOCUMENTED, YET LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT THE PRACTICE OF YOGA IN AUSTRALIA OR ELSEWHERE, WHETHER AS A PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, A FORM OF THERAPY, A SPIRITUAL PATH OR A LIFESTYLE. MATERIALS AND METHODS: TO INVESTIGATE THE PRACTICE OF YOGA IN AUSTRALIA, A NATIONAL SURVEY OF YOGA PRACTITIONERS WAS CONDUCTED UTILIZING A COMPREHENSIVE WEB-BASED QUESTIONNAIRE. RESPONDENTS WERE SELF-SELECTING TO PARTICIPATE. A TOTAL OF 3,892 RESPONDENTS COMPLETED THE SURVEY. SIXTY OVERSEAS RESPONDENTS AND 1265 YOGA TEACHERS (TO BE REPORTED SEPARATELY) WERE EXCLUDED, LEAVING 2,567 YOGA PRACTITIONER RESPONDENTS. RESULTS: THE TYPICAL YOGA SURVEY RESPONDENT WAS A 41-YEAR-OLD, TERTIARY EDUCATED, EMPLOYED, HEALTH-CONSCIOUS FEMALE (85% WOMEN). ASANA (POSTURES) AND VINYASA (SEQUENCES OF POSTURES) REPRESENTED 61% OF THE TIME SPENT PRACTICING, WITH THE OTHER 39% DEVOTED TO THE GENTLER PRACTICES OF RELAXATION, PRANAYAMA (BREATHING TECHNIQUES), MEDITATION AND INSTRUCTION. RESPONDENTS COMMONLY STARTED PRACTICING YOGA FOR HEALTH AND FITNESS BUT OFTEN CONTINUED PRACTICING FOR STRESS MANAGEMENT. ONE IN FIVE RESPONDENTS PRACTICED YOGA FOR A SPECIFIC HEALTH OR MEDICAL REASON WHICH WAS SEEN TO BE IMPROVED BY YOGA PRACTICE. OF THESE, MORE PEOPLE USED YOGA FOR STRESS MANAGEMENT AND ANXIETY THAN BACK, NECK OR SHOULDER PROBLEMS, SUGGESTING THAT MENTAL HEALTH MAY BE THE PRIMARY HEALTH-RELATED MOTIVATION FOR PRACTICING YOGA. HEALTHY LIFESTYLE CHOICES WERE SEEN TO BE MORE PREVALENT IN RESPONDENTS WITH MORE YEARS OF PRACTICE. YOGA-RELATED INJURIES OCCURRING UNDER SUPERVISION IN THE PREVIOUS 12 MONTHS WERE LOW AT 2.4% OF RESPONDENTS. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA PRACTICE WAS SEEN TO ASSIST IN THE MANAGEMENT OF SPECIFIC HEALTH ISSUES AND MEDICAL CONDITIONS. REGULAR YOGA PRACTICE MAY ALSO EXERT A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE EFFECT INCLUDING VEGETARIANISM, NON-SMOKING, REDUCED ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION, INCREASED EXERCISE AND REDUCED STRESS WITH RESULTING COST BENEFITS TO THE COMMUNITY.	2012	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       
17  372  39 AWARENESS OF YOGA FOR SUPPORTIVE CARE IN CANCER: IMPLICATIONS FOR DISSEMINATION. OBJECTIVES: EVIDENCE INDICATES THERE ARE BENEFICIAL PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOSOCIAL EFFECTS FROM PRACTICING YOGA IN CANCER PATIENTS AND SURVIVORS. DESPITE YOGA HAVING BEEN INCORPORATED INTO NATIONAL COMPREHENSIVE CANCER NETWORK GUIDELINES FOR SYMPTOMS RANGING FROM FATIGUE TO PAIN, PATIENTS' USE OF YOGA FOR SUPPORTIVE CARE IS LOW, RANGING FROM 6% TO 12%. THIS STUDY AIMS TO EVALUATE THE AWARENESS OF YOGA AS THERAPY IN AN ACADEMIC CANCER CENTER AND THE PREFERENCES FOR INFORMATION DELIVERY IN THIS POPULATION. DESIGN: WE CONDUCTED A CROSS-SECTIONAL SURVEY STUDY AT AN URBAN ACADEMIC CANCER CENTER. RESPONSES REGARDING AWARENESS AND USE OF YOGA WERE EVALUATED; THOSE RESPONDING "NOT AWARE" WERE ANALYZED FOR PREFERENCES IN INFORMATION DELIVERY. UNIVARIATE ANALYSIS WAS USED TO FURTHER CHARACTERIZE AWARENESS OF YOGA FOR SUPPORTIVE CARE. RESULTS: OF 303 RESPONDENTS, 68% WERE FEMALE, 77% WERE WHITE, AND 75% WERE COLLEGE EDUCATED. DESPITE ACCESS TO YOGA AT THE CANCER CENTER, 171 (56%) PATIENTS EXPRESSED THEY WERE NOT AWARE OF THE AVAILABILITY OF YOGA. MALE PATIENTS WERE MORE LIKELY TO BE UNAWARE OF YOGA (72.4% VS. 48.8%, P = 0.045). AWARENESS DID NOT VARY BY AGE, RACE, EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT, MARITAL STATUS, CANCER TYPE, OR CANCER STAGE. OF THE 171 "NOT AWARE" PATIENTS, 87.6% EXPRESSED DESIRE FOR INFORMATION IN THE FORM OF PRINTED MATERIAL, FOLLOWED BY 80.4% FOR E-MAIL, 37.6% FOR SMARTPHONE APPLICATION, AND 27.6% FOR SOCIAL MEDIA. NON-WHITE RESPONDENTS WERE MORE LIKELY TO EXPRESS INTEREST IN RECEIVING INFORMATION BY SMARTPHONE. CONCLUSIONS: MORE THAN HALF OF CANCER PATIENTS WERE UNAWARE OF THE YOGA PROGRAM DESPITE ADVERTISING ACROSS THE INSTITUTION. PATIENTS PREFER VARYING METHODS FOR INFORMATION RECEIPT, WITH PREFERENCES DIFFERING BY SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS. TARGETED EDUCATION AND OUTREACH USING APPROPRIATE ENGAGEMENT IS NEEDED TO IMPROVE THE AWARENESS OF YOGA FOR SYMPTOM CONTROL IN CANCER PATIENTS.	2019	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
18 2379  22 WHY PRACTICE YOGA? PRACTITIONERS' MOTIVATIONS FOR ADOPTING AND MAINTAINING YOGA PRACTICE. WE EXAMINED MOTIVES FOR ADOPTING AND MAINTAINING YOGA PRACTICE IN A NATIONAL SURVEY OF YOGA PRACTITIONERS (360 YOGA STUDENTS, 156 YOGA TEACHERS). BOTH STUDENTS AND TEACHERS ADOPTED YOGA PRACTICE PRIMARILY FOR EXERCISE AND STRESS RELIEF, BUT REPORTED MANY OTHER REASONS, INCLUDING FLEXIBILITY, GETTING INTO SHAPE, AND DEPRESSION/ANXIETY RELIEF. OVER 62 PERCENT OF STUDENTS AND 85 PERCENT OF TEACHERS REPORTED HAVING CHANGED THEIR PRIMARY REASON FOR PRACTICING OR DISCOVERING OTHER REASONS; FOR BOTH, THE TOP CHANGED PRIMARY REASON WAS SPIRITUALITY. FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT MOST INITIATE YOGA PRACTICE FOR EXERCISE AND STRESS RELIEF, BUT FOR MANY, SPIRITUALITY BECOMES THEIR PRIMARY REASON FOR MAINTAINING PRACTICE.	2016	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        
19  291  48 ADVERSE EFFECTS OF YOGA: A NATIONAL CROSS-SECTIONAL SURVEY. BACKGROUND: WHILE YOGA IS INCREASINGLY USED FOR HEALTH PURPOSES, ITS SAFETY HAS BEEN QUESTIONED. THE AIM OF THIS CROSS-SECTIONAL SURVEY WAS TO ANALYZE YOGA-ASSOCIATED ADVERSE EFFECTS AND THEIR CORRELATES. METHODS: A CROSS-SECTIONAL ANONYMOUS NATIONAL ONLINE SURVEY AMONG GERMAN YOGA PRACTITIONERS (N = 1702; 88.9% FEMALE; 47.2 +/- 10.8 YEARS) WAS CONDUCTED FROM JANUARY TO JUNE 2016. PARTICIPANTS WERE QUERIED REGARDING THEIR YOGA PRACTICE, I.E. YOGA STYLES USED, LENGTH AND INTENSITY OF YOGA PRACTICE, PRACTICE PATTERNS, AND WHETHER THEY HAD EXPERIENCED ACUTE OR CHRONIC ADVERSE EFFECTS OF THEIR YOGA PRACTICE. INDEPENDENT PREDICTORS OF ACUTE OR CHRONIC ADVERSE EFFECTS WERE IDENTIFIED USING MULTIPLE LOGISTIC REGRESSION ANALYSES. RESULTS: ASHTANGA YOGA (15.7%), TRADITIONAL HATHA YOGA (14.2%), AND SIVANANDA YOGA (22.4%) WERE THE MOST COMMONLY USED YOGA STYLES. 364 (21.4%) YOGA USERS REPORTED 702 ACUTE ADVERSE EFFECTS, OCCURRING AFTER A MEAN OF 7.6 +/- 8.0 YEARS OF YOGA PRACTICE. THE MOST COMMONLY REPORTED YOGA PRACTICES THAT WERE ASSOCIATED WITH ACUTE ADVERSE EFFECTS WERE HAND-, SHOULDER- AND HEAD STANDS (29.4%). USING VINIYOGA WAS ASSOCIATED WITH A DECREASED RISK OF ACUTE ADVERSE EFFECTS; PRACTICING ONLY BY SELF-STUDY WITHOUT SUPERVISION WAS ASSOCIATED WITH HIGHER RISK. ONE HUNDRED SEVENTY-THREE PARTICIPANTS (10.2%) REPORTED 239 CHRONIC ADVERSE EFFECTS. THE RISK OF CHRONIC ADVERSE EFFECTS WAS HIGHER IN PARTICIPANTS WITH CHRONIC ILLNESSES AND THOSE PRACTICING ONLY BY SELF-STUDY WITHOUT SUPERVISION. MOST REPORTED ADVERSE EFFECTS CONCERNED THE MUSCULOSKELETAL SYSTEM. 76.9% OF ACUTE CASES, AND 51.6% OF CHRONIC CASES REACHED FULL RECOVERY. ON AVERAGE 0.60 INJURIES (95% CONFIDENCE INTERVAL = 0.51-0.71) PER 1000 H OF PRACTICE WERE REPORTED, WITH POWER YOGA USERS REPORTING THE HIGHEST RATE (1.50 INJURIES PER 1000 H; 95% CONFIDENCE INTERVAL = 0.98-3.15). CONCLUSIONS: ONE IN FIVE ADULT YOGA USERS REPORTED AT LEAST ONE ACUTE ADVERSE EFFECT IN THEIR YOGA PRACTICE, AND ONE IN TEN REPORTED AT LEAST ONE CHRONIC ADVERSE EFFECT, MAINLY MUSCULOSKELETAL EFFECTS. ADVERSE EFFECTS WERE ASSOCIATED WITH HAND-, SHOULDER- AND HEAD STANDS; AND WITH YOGA SELF-STUDY WITHOUT SUPERVISION. MORE THAN THREE QUARTERS OF OF CASES REACHED FULL RECOVERY. BASED ON THE OVERALL INJURY RATE PER 1000 PRACTICE HOURS, YOGA APPEARS TO BE AS SAFE OR SAFER WHEN COMPARED TO OTHER EXERCISE TYPES.	2019	

20  471  36 CHARACTERISTICS OF YOGA PRACTITIONERS, MOTIVATORS, AND YOGA TECHNIQUES OF CHOICE: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY. BACKGROUND: THE CHARACTERISTICS OF YOGA PRACTITIONERS AND FACTORS MOTIVATING PEOPLE TO PRACTICE YOGA HAVE BEEN STUDIED IN THE US AND IN AUSTRALIA. THIS STUDY AIMED TO DETERMINE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF YOGA USERS IN INDIA, THE FACTORS THAT MOTIVATE THEM TO PRACTICE YOGA, AND THE YOGA TECHNIQUES OF CHOICE. MATERIALS AND METHODS: THE STUDY WAS A ONE-TIME, CROSS-SECTIONAL SURVEY BASED ON CONVENIENCE SAMPLING. INCLUSION CRITERIA WERE (A) A MINIMUM OF 1 WEEK EXPERIENCE OF YOGA AND (B) AT LEAST 10 YEARS OF AGE. 14,250 PEOPLE RECEIVED THE SURVEY. AFTER EXCLUDING THOSE WHO DID NOT MEET THE INCLUSION CRITERIA OR FILLED IN THE SURVEY INCOMPLETELY OR INCORRECTLY, 5,157 RESPONDENTS WERE INCLUDED IN THE STUDY. RESULTS: OUT OF 5,157 RESPONDENTS, THERE WERE MORE MALES (67.3%), AGED BETWEEN 21 AND 44 YEARS (33.7% OF THE SAMPLE SURVEYED), EDUCATED UP TO HIGH SCHOOL (62.5%), STUDENTS (39.3%), AND THOSE WHO HAD BETWEEN 1 AND 12 MONTHS OF EXPERIENCE IN YOGA (54.4%). THE FIRST MOST COMMON REASON TO PRACTICE YOGA FOR ALL RESPONDENTS WAS PHYSICAL FITNESS. THREE OF THE REMAINING REASONS TO PRACTICE YOGA DIFFERED SIGNIFICANTLY WITH AGE: (I) YOGA FOR DISEASE MANAGEMENT (CHI(2) = 17.62, P < 0.005), (II) YOGA AS A HOBBY (CHI(2) = 10.87, P < 0.05), AND (III) YOGA BASED ON THE GURU'S (TEACHER'S) INSTRUCTIONS (CHI(2) = 20.05, P < 0.001). THE YOGA TECHNIQUE OF CHOICE [I.E., (I) ASANAS (CHI(2) = 23.17, P < 0.001), (II) PRANAYAMA (CHI(2) = 19.87, P < 0.001), OR (III) MEDITATION (CHI(2) = 9.64, P < 0.05)] DIFFERED SIGNIFICANTLY ACROSS AGE GROUPS. CONCLUSION: IN INDIA, A YOGA PRACTITIONER WAS MORE LIKELY TO BE MALE, BETWEEN 21 AND 44 YEARS OF AGE, HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATED, AND A STUDENT. THE REASONS TO PRACTICE YOGA AND THE YOGA TECHNIQUE OF CHOICE DIFFERED SIGNIFICANTLY WITH AGE.	2017