1 131 102 A PRAGMATIC MULTI-CENTRED RANDOMISED CONTROLLED TRIAL OF YOGA FOR CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN: TRIAL PROTOCOL. UNLABELLED: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REVEALED THREE SMALL RANDOMISED CONTROLLED TRIALS OF YOGA FOR LOW BACK PAIN, ALL OF WHICH SHOWED EFFECTS ON BACK PAIN THAT FAVOURED THE YOGA GROUP. TO BUILD ON THESE STUDIES A LARGER TRIAL, WITH LONGER TERM FOLLOW-UP, AND A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT YOGA TEACHERS DELIVERING THE INTERVENTION IS REQUIRED. THIS STUDY PROTOCOL DESCRIBES THE DETAILS OF A RANDOMISED CONTROLLED TRIAL (RCT) TO DETERMINE THE EFFECTIVENESS AND COST-EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA FOR CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN, WHICH IS FUNDED BY ARTHRITIS RESEARCH CAMPAIGN (ARC) AND IS BEING CONDUCTED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF YORK. 262 PATIENTS WILL BE RECRUITED FROM GP PRACTICES IN 5 CENTRES IN ENGLAND. PATIENTS WILL BE RANDOMISED TO RECEIVE USUAL CARE OR 12 WEEKLY CLASSES OF YOGA. A YOGA PROGRAMME WILL BE DEVISED THAT CAN BE DELIVERED BY YOGA TEACHERS OF THE TWO MAIN NATIONAL YOGA ORGANISATIONS IN THE UK (BRITISH WHEEL OF YOGA AND IYENGAR YOGA ASSOCIATION (UK)). TRIAL REGISTRATION: CURRENT CONTROLLED TRIALS REGISTRY ISRCTN81079604 (DATE REGISTERED 30/03/2007). 2010 2 2831 35 YOGA VS. PHYSICAL THERAPY VS. EDUCATION FOR CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN IN PREDOMINANTLY MINORITY POPULATIONS: STUDY PROTOCOL FOR A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. BACKGROUND: CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN CAUSES SUBSTANTIAL MORBIDITY AND COST TO SOCIETY WHILE DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTING LOW-INCOME AND MINORITY ADULTS. SEVERAL RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS SHOW YOGA IS AN EFFECTIVE TREATMENT. HOWEVER, THE COMPARATIVE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA AND PHYSICAL THERAPY, A COMMON MAINSTREAM TREATMENT FOR CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN, IS UNKNOWN. METHODS/DESIGN: THIS IS A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL FOR 320 PREDOMINANTLY LOW-INCOME MINORITY ADULTS WITH CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN, COMPARING YOGA, PHYSICAL THERAPY, AND EDUCATION. INCLUSION CRITERIA ARE ADULTS 18-64 YEARS OLD WITH NON-SPECIFIC LOW BACK PAIN LASTING >/= 12 WEEKS AND A SELF-REPORTED AVERAGE PAIN INTENSITY OF >/= 4 ON A 0-10 SCALE. RECRUITMENT TAKES PLACE AT BOSTON MEDICAL CENTER, AN URBAN ACADEMIC SAFETY-NET HOSPITAL AND SEVEN FEDERALLY QUALIFIED COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS LOCATED IN DIVERSE NEIGHBORHOODS. THE 52-WEEK STUDY HAS AN INITIAL 12-WEEK TREATMENT PHASE WHERE PARTICIPANTS ARE RANDOMIZED IN A 2:2:1 RATIO INTO I) A STANDARDIZED WEEKLY HATHA YOGA CLASS SUPPLEMENTED BY HOME PRACTICE; II) A STANDARDIZED EVIDENCE-BASED EXERCISE THERAPY PROTOCOL ADAPTED FROM THE TREATMENT BASED CLASSIFICATION METHOD, INDIVIDUALLY DELIVERED BY A PHYSICAL THERAPIST AND SUPPLEMENTED BY HOME PRACTICE; AND III) EDUCATION DELIVERED THROUGH A SELF-CARE BOOK. CO-PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURES ARE 12-WEEK PAIN INTENSITY MEASURED ON AN 11-POINT NUMERICAL RATING SCALE AND BACK-SPECIFIC FUNCTION MEASURED USING THE MODIFIED ROLAND MORRIS DISABILITY QUESTIONNAIRE. IN THE SUBSEQUENT 40-WEEK MAINTENANCE PHASE, YOGA PARTICIPANTS ARE RE-RANDOMIZED IN A 1:1 RATIO TO EITHER STRUCTURED MAINTENANCE YOGA CLASSES OR HOME PRACTICE ONLY. PHYSICAL THERAPY PARTICIPANTS ARE SIMILARLY RE-RANDOMIZED TO EITHER FIVE BOOSTER SESSIONS OR HOME PRACTICE ONLY. EDUCATION PARTICIPANTS CONTINUE TO FOLLOW RECOMMENDATIONS OF EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS. WE WILL ALSO ASSESS COST EFFECTIVENESS FROM THE PERSPECTIVES OF THE INDIVIDUAL, INSURERS, AND SOCIETY USING CLAIMS DATABASES, ELECTRONIC MEDICAL RECORDS, SELF-REPORT COST DATA, AND STUDY RECORDS. QUALITATIVE DATA FROM INTERVIEWS WILL ADD SUBJECTIVE DETAIL TO COMPLEMENT QUANTITATIVE DATA. TRIAL REGISTRATION: THIS TRIAL IS REGISTERED IN CLINICALTRIALS.GOV, WITH THE ID NUMBER: NCT01343927. 2014 3 1161 31 EVALUATING A GROUP-BASED YOGA OF STRESS RESILIENCE PROGRAMME: A PRAGMATIC BEFORE-AFTER INTERVENTIONAL STUDY PROTOCOL. INTRODUCTION: RATES OF MENTAL HEALTH ILLNESSES AND BURNOUT ARE INCREASING INTERNATIONALLY. THERAPEUTIC YOGA IS INCREASINGLY USED TO IMPROVE AND MAINTAIN PHYSICAL, MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING AND GENERAL HEALTH. THIS PROTOCOL DESCRIBES A STUDY TO EVALUATE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF AN EXISTING PRIMARY CARE GROUP-BASED THERAPEUTIC YOGA PROGRAMME, THE YOGA OF STRESS RESILIENCE PROGRAMME, WHICH COMBINES YOGA AND PSYCHOTHERAPEUTIC TECHNIQUES, IN IMPROVING MENTAL HEALTH AND DECREASING BURNOUT. IMPLEMENTATION FACTORS WILL ALSO BE EVALUATED FOR POTENTIAL SCALE-UP. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: A PRAGMATIC BEFORE-AFTER INTERVENTIONAL TRIAL DESIGN WILL BE USED TO STUDY CHANGES IN OCCUPATIONAL PARTICIPATION AND MENTAL HEALTH OUTCOMES, INCLUDING ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, BURNOUT, FUNCTIONAL IMPAIRMENT, INSOMNIA, PERCEIVED STRESS, LONELINESS, SELF-COMPASSION AND READINESS FOR CHANGE IN ADULTS EXPERIENCING ANXIETY AND BURNOUT. REPEATED MEASURES ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE WILL BE USED TO DETERMINE CHANGES IN OUTCOME MEASURES OVER TIME. REGRESSION AND MULTIVARIATE ANALYSES WILL BE CONDUCTED TO EXAMINE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN PARTICIPANT CHARACTERISTICS AND OUTCOMES AND AMONG VARIOUS OUTCOMES. THE REACH, EFFECTIVENESS, ADOPTION, IMPLEMENTATION, AND MAINTENANCE FRAMEWORK WILL BE USED TO GUIDE THE ANALYSES. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: APPROVAL FROM THE HAMILTON INTEGRATED RESEARCH ETHICS BOARD HAS BEEN WAIVED: PROJECT NUMBER 7082 (FULL REVIEW WAIVED). INFORMED CONSENT WILL BE OBTAINED PRIOR TO ENROLLING ANY PARTICIPANT INTO THE STUDY. ALL DATA WILL BE KEPT CONFIDENTIAL. PEER-REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS AND PRESENTATIONS WILL TARGET RESEARCHERS AND HEALTH PROFESSIONALS. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: THE CLINICALTRIALS.GOV REGISTRY (NCT03973216). 2020 4 2598 40 YOGA FOR OLDER ADULTS WITH MULTIMORBIDITY (THE GENTLE YEARS YOGA TRIAL): STUDY PROTOCOL FOR A RANDOMISED CONTROLLED TRIAL. BACKGROUND: MULTIMORBIDITY IS COMMON IN OLDER ADULTS AND ASSOCIATED WITH HIGH LEVELS OF ILLNESS BURDEN AND HEALTHCARE EXPENDITURE. THE EVIDENCE BASE FOR HOW TO MANAGE OLDER ADULTS WITH MULTIMORBIDITY IS WEAK. YOGA MIGHT BE A USEFUL INTERVENTION BECAUSE IT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO IMPROVE HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE, PHYSICAL FUNCTIONING, AND SEVERAL MEDICAL CONDITIONS. THE BRITISH WHEEL OF YOGA'S GENTLE YEARS YOGA(C) (GYY) PROGRAMME WAS DEVELOPED SPECIFICALLY FOR OLDER ADULTS, INCLUDING THOSE WITH CHRONIC MEDICAL CONDITIONS. DATA FROM A PILOT TRIAL SUGGESTED FEASIBILITY OF USING GYY IN THIS POPULATION, BUT ITS EFFECTIVENESS AND COST-EFFECTIVENESS REMAIN UNCERTAIN. METHODS: THIS IS A MULTI-SITE, INDIVIDUALLY RANDOMISED, SUPERIORITY TRIAL WITH AN EMBEDDED PROCESS EVALUATION AND AN ECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF COST-EFFECTIVENESS. THE TRIAL WILL COMPARE AN EXPERIMENTAL STRATEGY OF OFFERING A 12-WEEK GYY PROGRAMME AGAINST A CONTROL STRATEGY OF NO OFFER IN COMMUNITY-DWELLING ADULTS AGED 65 OR OVER WHO HAVE MULTIMORBIDITY, DEFINED AS HAVING TWO OR MORE CHRONIC CONDITIONS FROM A PREDEFINED LIST. THE PRIMARY OUTCOME IS HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE MEASURED USING THE EQ-5D-5L, THE PRIMARY ENDPOINT BEING THE OVERALL DIFFERENCE OVER 12 MONTHS. BOTH GROUPS WILL CONTINUE TO BE ABLE TO ACCESS THEIR USUAL CARE FROM PRIMARY, SECONDARY, COMMUNITY, AND SOCIAL SERVICES. PARTICIPANTS, CARE PROVIDERS, AND YOGA TEACHERS WILL NOT BE BLINDED TO THE ALLOCATED INTERVENTION. OUTCOME MEASURES ARE PRIMARILY SELF-REPORTED. THE ANALYSIS WILL FOLLOW INTENTION-TO-TREAT PRINCIPLES. DISCUSSION: THIS PRAGMATIC RANDOMISED CONTROLLED TRIAL WILL DEMONSTRATE IF THE GYY PROGRAMME IS AN EFFECTIVE, COST-EFFECTIVE, AND VIABLE ADDITION TO THE MANAGEMENT OF OLDER ADULTS WITH MULTIMORBIDITY. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN ISRCTN13567538 . REGISTERED ON 18 MARCH 2019. 2021 5 2843 32 YOGA, COGNITIVE-BEHAVIOURAL THERAPY VERSUS EDUCATION TO IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE AND REDUCE HEALTHCARE COSTS IN PEOPLE WITH ENDOMETRIOSIS: A RANDOMISED CONTROLLED TRIAL. INTRODUCTION: ENDOMETRIOSIS IS A DEBILITATING CHRONIC INFLAMMATORY CONDITION HIGHLY BURDENSOME TO THE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM. THE PRESENT TRIAL WILL ESTABLISH THE EFFICACY OF (1) YOGA AND (2) COGNITIVE-BEHAVIOURAL THERAPY (CBT), ABOVE (3) EDUCATION, ON QUALITY OF LIFE, BIOPSYCHOSOCIAL OUTCOMES AND COST-EFFECTIVENESS. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: THIS STUDY IS A PARALLEL RANDOMISED CONTROLLED TRIAL. PARTICIPANTS WILL BE RANDOMLY ALLOCATED TO YOGA, CBT OR EDUCATION. PARTICIPANTS WILL BE ENGLISH-SPEAKING ADULTS, HAVE A DIAGNOSIS OF ENDOMETRIOSIS BY A QUALIFIED PHYSICIAN, WITH PAIN FOR AT LEAST 6 MONTHS, AND ACCESS TO INTERNET. PARTICIPANTS WILL ATTEND 8 WEEKLY GROUP CBT SESSIONS OF 120 MIN; OR 8 WEEKLY GROUP YOGA SESSIONS OF 60 MIN; OR RECEIVE WEEKLY EDUCATIONAL HANDOUTS ON ENDOMETRIOSIS. THE PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURE IS QUALITY OF LIFE. THE ANALYSIS WILL INCLUDE MIXED-EFFECTS ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE AND LINEAR MODELS, COST-UTILITY ANALYSIS FROM A SOCIETAL AND HEALTH SYSTEM PERSPECTIVE AND QUALITATIVE THEMATIC ANALYSIS. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: ENROLMENT IN THE STUDY IS VOLUNTARY AND PARTICIPANTS CAN WITHDRAW AT ANY TIME. PARTICIPANTS WILL BE GIVEN THE OPTION TO DISCUSS THE STUDY WITH THEIR NEXT OF KIN/TREATING PHYSICIAN. FINDINGS WILL BE DISSEMINATED VIA PUBLICATIONS, CONFERENCES AND BRIEFS TO PROFESSIONAL ORGANISATIONS. THE UNIVERSITY'S MEDIA TEAM WILL ALSO BE USED TO FURTHER DISSEMINATE VIA LAY PERSON ARTICLES AND MEDIA RELEASES. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ACTRN12620000756921P; PRE-RESULTS. 2021 6 162 41 A RANDOMISED CONTROLLED TRIAL OF YOGA FOR THE TREATMENT OF CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN: RESULTS OF A PILOT STUDY. OBJECTIVE: TO CONDUCT A PILOT TRIAL OF YOGA FOR THE TREATMENT OF CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN (LBP) TO INFORM THE FEASIBILITY AND PRACTICALITY OF CONDUCTING A FULL-SCALE TRIAL IN THE UK; AND TO ASSESS THE EFFICACY OF YOGA FOR THE TREATMENT OF CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN. DESIGN: A PRAGMATIC RANDOMISED CONTROLLED TRIAL WAS UNDERTAKEN COMPARING YOGA TO USUAL CARE. PARTICIPANTS: TWENTY PARTICIPANTS WHO HAD PRESENTED TO THEIR GP WITH CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN IN THE PREVIOUS 18 MONTHS WERE RECRUITED VIA GP RECORDS FROM ONE PRACTICE IN YORK, UK. INTERVENTIONS: TWENTY PATIENTS WERE RANDOMISED TO EITHER 12 WEEKLY 75-MIN SESSIONS OF SPECIALISED YOGA PLUS WRITTEN ADVICE, OR USUAL CARE PLUS WRITTEN ADVICE. ALLOCATION WAS 50/50. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: RECRUITMENT RATE, LEVELS OF INTERVENTION ATTENDANCE, AND LOSS TO FOLLOW-UP WERE THE MAIN NON-CLINICAL OUTCOMES. CHANGE AS MEASURED BY THE ROLAND AND MORRIS DISABILITY QUESTIONNAIRE WAS THE PRIMARY CLINICAL OUTCOME. CHANGES IN THE ABERDEEN BACK PAIN SCALE, SF-12, EQ-5D, AND PAIN SELF-EFFICACY WERE SECONDARY CLINICAL OUTCOMES. DATA WERE COLLECTED VIA POSTAL QUESTIONNAIRE AT BASELINE, 4 WEEKS, AND 12 WEEKS FOLLOW-UP. RESULTS: OF THE 286 PATIENTS IDENTIFIED FROM THE GP DATABASE, 52 (18%) CONSENTED AND RETURNED THE ELIGIBILITY QUESTIONNAIRE, OUT OF THESE 20 (6.9%) WERE ELIGIBLE AND RANDOMISED. THE TOTAL PERCENTAGE OF PATIENTS RANDOMISED FROM THE GP PRACTICE POPULATION WAS 0.28%. TEN PATIENTS WERE RANDOMISED TO YOGA, RECEIVING AN AVERAGE OF 1.7 SESSIONS (RANGE 0-5), AND 10 WERE RANDOMISED TO USUAL CARE. AT 12 WEEKS FOLLOW-UP DATA WAS RECEIVED FROM 60% OF PATIENTS IN THE YOGA GROUP AND 90% OF PATIENTS IN THE USUAL CARE GROUP (75% OVERALL). NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES WERE SEEN BETWEEN GROUPS IN CLINICAL OUTCOMES APART FROM ON THE ABERDEEN BACK PAIN SCALE AT FOUR WEEKS FOLLOW-UP WHERE THE YOGA GROUP REPORTED SIGNIFICANTLY LESS PAIN. CONCLUSION: THIS PILOT STUDY PROVIDED USEFUL DATA AND INFORMATION TO INFORM THE DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF A FULL-SCALE TRIAL OF YOGA FOR CLBP IN THE UK. A KEY FINDING IS THE CALCULATION OF GP PRACTICE TOTAL LIST SIZE REQUIRED FOR PATIENT RECRUITMENT IN A FULL-SCALE TRIAL, AND THE NEED TO IMPLEMENT METHODS TO INCREASE CLASS ATTENDANCE. 2010 7 1291 26 GROUP ACUPUNCTURE THERAPY WITH YOGA THERAPY FOR CHRONIC NECK, LOW BACK, AND OSTEOARTHRITIS PAIN IN SAFETY NET SETTING FOR AN UNDERSERVED POPULATION: DESIGN AND RATIONALE FOR A FEASIBILITY PILOT. CHRONIC PAIN IS PREVALENT IN THE UNITED STATES, WITH IMPACT ON PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL FUNCTIONING AS WELL AS LOST WORK PRODUCTIVITY. MINORITY AND LOWER SOCIOECONOMIC POPULATIONS HAVE INCREASED PREVALENCE OF CHRONIC PAIN WITH LESS ACCESS TO PAIN CARE, POORER OUTCOMES, AND HIGHER RISK OF FATAL OPIOID OVERDOSE. ACUPUNCTURE THERAPY IS EFFECTIVE IN TREATING CHRONIC PAIN CONDITIONS INCLUDING CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN, NECK PAIN, SHOULDER PAIN, AND KNEE PAIN FROM OSTEOARTHRITIS. ACUPUNCTURE THERAPY, INCLUDING GROUP ACUPUNCTURE, IS FEASIBLE AND EFFECTIVE, AND SPECIFICALLY SO FOR UNDERSERVED AND DIVERSE POPULATIONS AT RISK FOR HEALTH OUTCOME DISPARITIES. ACUPUNCTURE THERAPY ALSO ENCOURAGES PATIENT ENGAGEMENT AND ACTIVATION. AS CHRONIC PAIN IMPROVES, THERE IS A NATURAL PROGRESSION TO WANT AND NEED TO INCREASE ACTIVITY AND MOVEMENT RECOVERY. DIVERSE MOVEMENT APPROACHES ARE IMPORTANT FOR IMPROVING RANGE OF MOTION, MAINTAINING GAINS, STRENGTHENING, AND PROMOTING PATIENT ENGAGEMENT AND ACTIVATION. YOGA THERAPY IS AN ACTIVE THERAPY WITH PROVEN BENEFIT IN MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN DISORDERS AND PAIN ASSOCIATED DISABILITY. THE AIM OF THIS QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL PILOT FEASIBILITY TRIAL IS TO TEST THE BUNDLING OF THESE 2 EFFECTIVE CARE OPTIONS FOR CHRONIC PAIN, TO INFORM BOTH THE DESIGN FOR A LARGER RANDOMIZED PRAGMATIC EFFECTIVENESS TRIAL AS WELL AS IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES ACROSS UNDERSERVED SETTINGS. 2020 8 518 29 COMPARING ONCE- VERSUS TWICE-WEEKLY YOGA CLASSES FOR CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN IN PREDOMINANTLY LOW INCOME MINORITIES: A RANDOMIZED DOSING TRIAL. BACKGROUND. PREVIOUS STUDIES HAVE DEMONSTRATED THAT ONCE-WEEKLY YOGA CLASSES ARE EFFECTIVE FOR CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN (CLBP) IN WHITE ADULTS WITH HIGH SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS. THE COMPARATIVE EFFECTIVENESS OF TWICE-WEEKLY CLASSES AND GENERALIZABILITY TO RACIALLY DIVERSE LOW INCOME POPULATIONS ARE UNKNOWN. METHODS. WE CONDUCTED A 12-WEEK RANDOMIZED, PARALLEL-GROUP, DOSING TRIAL FOR 95 ADULTS RECRUITED FROM AN URBAN SAFETY-NET HOSPITAL AND FIVE COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS COMPARING ONCE-WEEKLY (N = 49) VERSUS TWICE-WEEKLY (N = 46) STANDARDIZED YOGA CLASSES SUPPLEMENTED BY HOME PRACTICE. PRIMARY OUTCOMES WERE CHANGE FROM BASELINE TO 12 WEEKS IN PAIN (11-POINT SCALE) AND BACK-RELATED FUNCTION (23-POINT MODIFIED ROLAND-MORRIS DISABILITY QUESTIONNAIRE). RESULTS. 82% OF PARTICIPANTS WERE NONWHITE; 77% HAD ANNUAL HOUSEHOLD INCOMES <$40,000. THE SAMPLE'S BASELINE MEAN PAIN INTENSITY [6.9 (SD 1.6)] AND FUNCTION [13.7 (SD 5.0)] REFLECTED MODERATE TO SEVERE BACK PAIN AND IMPAIRMENT. PAIN AND BACK-RELATED FUNCTION IMPROVED WITHIN BOTH GROUPS (P < 0.001). HOWEVER, THERE WERE NO DIFFERENCES BETWEEN ONCE-WEEKLY AND TWICE-WEEKLY GROUPS FOR PAIN REDUCTION [-2.1 (95% CI -2.9, -1.3) VERSUS -2.4 (95% CI -3.1, -1.8), P = 0.62] OR BACK-RELATED FUNCTION [-5.1 (95% CI -7.0, -3.2) VERSUS -4.9 (95% CI -6.5, -3.3), P = 0.83]. CONCLUSIONS. TWELVE WEEKS OF ONCE-WEEKLY OR TWICE-WEEKLY YOGA CLASSES WERE SIMILARLY EFFECTIVE FOR PREDOMINANTLY LOW INCOME MINORITY ADULTS WITH MODERATE TO SEVERE CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN. THIS TRIAL IS REGISTERED WITH CLINICALTRIALS.GOV NCT01761617. 2013 9 132 41 A PRAGMATIC MULTICENTERED RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL OF YOGA FOR CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN: ECONOMIC EVALUATION. STUDY DESIGN: MULTICENTERED RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL WITH QUALITY OF LIFE AND RESOURCE USE DATA COLLECTED. OBJECTIVE: THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO EVALUATE THE COST-EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA INTERVENTION PLUS USUAL CARE COMPARED WITH USUAL CARE ALONE FOR CHRONIC OR RECURRENT LOW BACK PAIN. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: YOGA HAS BEEN SHOWN AS AN EFFECTIVE INTERVENTION FOR TREATING CHRONIC OR RECURRENT LOW BACK PAIN. HOWEVER, THERE IS LITTLE EVIDENCE ON ITS COST-EFFECTIVENESS. THE DATA ARE EXTRACTED FROM A PRAGMATIC, MULTICENTERED, RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL THAT HAS BEEN CONDUCTED TO EVALUATE THE EFFECTIVENESS AND COST-EFFECTIVENESS OF A 12-WEEK PROGRESSIVE PROGRAM OF YOGA PLUS USUAL CARE IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC OR RECURRENT LOW BACK PAIN. METHODS: WITH THIS TRIAL DATA, A COST-EFFECTIVENESS ANALYSIS DURING THE TIME PERIOD OF 12 MONTHS FROM BOTH PERSPECTIVES OF THE UK NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE AND THE SOCIETAL IS PRESENTED. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE IS AN INCREMENTAL COST PER QUALITY-ADJUSTED LIFE-YEAR (QALY). RESULTS: FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE U.K. NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE, YOGA INTERVENTION YIELDS AN INCREMENTAL COST-EFFECTIVENESS RATIO OF POUND13,606 PER QALY. GIVEN A WILLINGNESS TO PAY FOR AN ADDITIONAL QALY OF POUND20,000, THE PROBABILITY OF YOGA INTERVENTION BEING COST-EFFECTIVE IS 72%. FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE SOCIETY, YOGA INTERVENTION IS A DOMINANT TREATMENT COMPARED WITH USUAL CARE ALONE. THIS RESULT IS SURROUNDED BY FEWER UNCERTAINTIES-THE PROBABILITY OF YOGA BEING COST-EFFECTIVE REACHES 95% AT A WILLINGNESS TO PAY FOR AN ADDITIONAL QALY OF POUND20,000. SENSITIVE ANALYSES SUGGEST THE SAME RESULTS THAT YOGA INTERVENTION IS LIKELY TO BE COST-EFFECTIVE IN BOTH PERSPECTIVES. CONCLUSION: ON THE BASIS OF THIS TRIAL, 12 WEEKLY GROUP CLASSES OF SPECIALIZED YOGA ARE LIKELY TO BE A COST-EFFECTIVE INTERVENTION FOR TREATING PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC OR RECURRENT LOW BACK PAIN. 2012 10 2638 35 YOGA FOR VETERANS WITH CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN: DESIGN AND METHODS OF A RANDOMIZED CLINICAL TRIAL. CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN (CLBP) AFFLICTS MILLIONS OF PEOPLE WORLDWIDE, WITH PARTICULARLY HIGH PREVALENCE IN MILITARY VETERANS. MANY TREATMENT OPTIONS EXIST FOR CLBP, BUT MOST HAVE LIMITED EFFECTIVENESS AND SOME HAVE SIGNIFICANT SIDE EFFECTS. IN GENERAL POPULATIONS WITH CLBP, YOGA HAS BEEN SHOWN TO IMPROVE HEALTH OUTCOMES WITH FEW SIDE EFFECTS. HOWEVER, YOGA HAS NOT BEEN ADEQUATELY STUDIED IN MILITARY VETERAN POPULATIONS. IN THE CURRENT PAPER WE WILL DESCRIBE THE DESIGN AND METHODS OF A RANDOMIZED CLINICAL TRIAL AIMED AT EXAMINING WHETHER YOGA CAN EFFECTIVELY REDUCE DISABILITY AND PAIN IN US MILITARY VETERANS WITH CLBP. A TOTAL OF 144 US MILITARY VETERANS WITH CLBP WILL BE RANDOMIZED TO EITHER YOGA OR A DELAYED TREATMENT COMPARISON GROUP. THE YOGA INTERVENTION WILL CONSIST OF 2X WEEKLY YOGA CLASSES FOR 12WEEKS, COMPLEMENTED BY REGULAR HOME PRACTICE GUIDED BY A MANUAL. THE DELAYED TREATMENT GROUP WILL RECEIVE THE SAME INTERVENTION AFTER SIX MONTHS. THE PRIMARY OUTCOME IS THE CHANGE IN BACK PAIN-RELATED DISABILITY MEASURED WITH THE ROLAND-MORRIS DISABILITY QUESTIONNAIRE AT BASELINE AND 12-WEEKS. SECONDARY OUTCOMES INCLUDE PAIN INTENSITY, PAIN INTERFERENCE, DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, FATIGUE/ENERGY, QUALITY OF LIFE, SELF-EFFICACY, SLEEP QUALITY, AND MEDICATION USAGE. ADDITIONAL PROCESS AND/OR MEDIATIONAL FACTORS WILL BE MEASURED TO EXAMINE DOSE RESPONSE AND EFFECT MECHANISMS. ASSESSMENTS WILL BE CONDUCTED AT BASELINE, 6-WEEKS, 12-WEEKS, AND 6-MONTHS. ALL RANDOMIZED PARTICIPANTS WILL BE INCLUDED IN INTENTION-TO-TREAT ANALYSES. STUDY RESULTS WILL PROVIDE MUCH NEEDED EVIDENCE ON THE FEASIBILITY AND EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA AS A THERAPEUTIC MODALITY FOR THE TREATMENT OF CLBP IN US MILITARY VETERANS. 2016 11 1155 22 ENHANCING YOGA PARTICIPATION: A QUALITATIVE INVESTIGATION OF BARRIERS AND FACILITATORS TO YOGA AMONG PREDOMINANTLY RACIAL/ETHNIC MINORITY, LOW-INCOME ADULTS. YOGA IS UNDERUTILIZED AMONG RACIAL/ETHNIC MINORITIES AND LOW-INCOME POPULATIONS. TO ENHANCE PARTICIPATION AMONG THESE DEMOGRAPHIC GROUPS AND TO INFORM A FUTURE CLINICAL TRIAL, WE CONDUCTED A QUALITATIVE FORMATIVE INVESTIGATION, INFORMED BY THE SOCIAL CONTEXTUAL MODEL OF HEALTH BEHAVIOR CHANGE, TO IDENTIFY BARRIERS AND FACILITATORS TO YOGA THAT COULD IMPACT STUDY PARTICIPATION. WE RECRUITED TWENTY-FOUR RACIALLY/ETHNICALLY DIVERSE ADULTS, WITH AND WITHOUT PRIOR YOGA EXPERIENCE, FROM A LOW-INCOME, URBAN HOUSING COMMUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN EITHER AN INDIVIDUAL INTERVIEW OR FOCUS GROUP. A THEMATIC DATA ANALYSIS APPROACH WAS EMPLOYED. BARRIERS TO YOGA ENGAGEMENT INCLUDED THE PERCEPTION THAT YOGA LACKS PHYSICALITY AND WEIGHT LOSS BENEFITS, FEAR OF INJURY, LACK OF ABILITY/SELF-EFFICACY TO PERFORM THE PRACTICES, PREFERENCE FOR OTHER PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES, AND SCHEDULING DIFFICULTIES. FACILITATORS OF YOGA ENGAGEMENT INCLUDED A QUALITY YOGA INSTRUCTOR WHO PROVIDES INDIVIDUALIZED INSTRUCTION, BEGINNER LEVEL CLASSES, AND PROMOTIONAL MESSAGING THAT HIGHLIGHTS THE POTENTIAL BENEFITS OF YOGA, SUCH AS STRESS REDUCTION. 2017 12 151 26 A QUALITATIVE INVESTIGATION TO INFORM YOGA INTERVENTION RECRUITMENT PRACTICES FOR RACIAL/ETHNIC MINORITY ADOLESCENTS IN OUTPATIENT MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT. OBJECTIVE: YOGA IS RECOGNIZED AS AN EFFECTIVE APPROACH TO IMPROVING OVERALL PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH; HOWEVER, THERE MAY BE PERCEIVED BARRIERS TO YOGA PARTICIPATION, PARTICULARLY AMONG POPULATIONS MOST AT RISK FOR MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES. WE CONDUCTED QUALITATIVE FORMATIVE RESEARCH TO HELP INFORM RECRUITMENT PRACTICES FOR A FUTURE STUDY AND TO SPECIFICALLY UNDERSTAND THE BARRIERS AND FACILITATORS TO ENGAGEMENT IN YOGA PRACTICE AMONG RACIAL/ETHNIC MINORITY ADOLESCENTS, AS WELL AS ADOLESCENTS IN OUTPATIENT MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT. METHODS: QUALITATIVE DATA WERE COLLECTED AT A COMMUNITY HEALTH CLINIC THAT SERVES LOW INCOME FAMILIES IN SOUTHEASTERN FLORIDA. USING SEMI STRUCTURED INTERVIEWS WITH RACIAL AND ETHNIC MINORITY ADOLESCENTS BETWEEN 12 AND 17 YEARS OLD, PARTICIPANTS WERE ASKED ABOUT BELIEFS AND PERCEPTIONS ABOUT YOGA, AS WELL AS RECOMMENDATIONS ON RECRUITING PEERS. A THEMATIC ANALYSIS APPROACH WAS USED TO IDENTIFY AND EXAMINE COMMON THEMES. RESULTS: TWENTY INTERVIEWS WERE CONDUCTED AND EIGHT MAJOR THEMES EMERGED FROM THE DATA. THEMES WERE GROUPED AS (1) FACILITATORS TO RECRUITMENT AND (2) BARRIERS TO RECRUITMENT. INTERPRETATION: ADVERTISING FREE YOGA THAT EMPHASIZES THE SOCIAL, PHYSICAL, AND MENTAL BENEFITS CAN HELP ASSUAGE NEGATIVE PERCEPTIONS OF YOGA AND PROMOTE THE ADVANTAGES OF YOGA AMONG TEENAGERS. HAVING RECRUITMENT MATERIALS AND MODALITIES THAT HIGHLIGHT INCLUSIVITY OF ALL GENDERS AND PHYSICAL ABILITIES IN THE YOGA CLASSES ARE ALSO IMPORTANT IN FACILITATING PARTICIPATION. UNDERSTANDING PERCEPTIONS OF YOGA, AS WELL AS PERCEIVED BARRIERS AND FACILITATORS, AMONG RACIALLY/ETHNICALLY DIVERSE ADOLESCENTS IN OUTPATIENT MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT, CAN ASSIST RECRUITMENT EFFORTS, INCREASE YOGA INTERVENTION PARTICIPATION, AND ULTIMATELY, IMPROVE MENTAL HEALTH OUTCOMES FOR UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS. 2020 13 1224 26 FEASIBILITY AND ASSESSMENT OF OUTCOME MEASURES FOR YOGA AS SELF-CARE FOR MINORITIES WITH ARTHRITIS: A PILOT STUDY. BACKGROUND: WHILE THERE IS A GROWING INTEREST IN THE THERAPEUTIC BENEFITS OF YOGA, MINORITY POPULATIONS WITH ARTHRITIS TEND TO BE UNDER-REPRESENTED IN THE RESEARCH. ADDITIONALLY, THERE IS AN ABSENCE OF GUIDANCE IN THE LITERATURE REGARDING THE USE OF MULTICULTURAL TEAMS AND SOCIOCULTURAL HEALTH BELIEFS, WHEN DESIGNING YOGA STUDIES FOR A RACIALLY DIVERSE POPULATION WITH ARTHRITIS. THIS PILOT STUDY EXAMINED THE FEASIBILITY OF OFFERING YOGA AS A SELF-CARE MODALITY TO AN URBAN, BILINGUAL, MINORITY POPULATION WITH OSTEOARTHRITIS (OA) OR RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS (RA), IN THE WASHINGTON, DC AREA. METHODS: THE PRIMARY OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY WAS TO ASSESS THE FEASIBILITY OF OFFERING AN 8-WEEK, BILINGUAL YOGA INTERVENTION ADAPTED FOR ARTHRITIS TO A CONVENIENCE SAMPLE OF PRIMARILY HISPANIC AND BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN ADULTS. A RACIALLY DIVERSE INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH TEAM WAS ASSEMBLED TO DESIGN A STUDY TO FACILITATE RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION. THE SECOND OBJECTIVE IDENTIFIED OUTCOME MEASURES TO OPERATIONALIZE POTENTIAL FACILITATORS AND BARRIERS TO SELF-CARE AND SELF-EFFICACY. THE THIRD OBJECTIVE DETERMINED THE FEASIBILITY OF USING COMPUTER-ASSISTED SELF-INTERVIEW (CASI) FOR DATA COLLECTION. RESULTS: ENROLLED PARTICIPANTS (N = 30) WERE MOSTLY FEMALE (93%), SPANISH SPEAKING (69%), AND DIAGNOSED WITH RA (88.5%). FEASIBILITY WAS EVALUATED USING PRACTICALITY, ACCEPTABILITY, ADAPTATION, AND EXPANSION OF AN ARTHRITIS-ADAPTED YOGA INTERVENTION, MODIFIED FOR THIS POPULATION. RECRUITMENT (51%) AND PARTICIPATION (60%) RATES WERE SIMILAR TO PREVIOUS RESEARCH AND CLINICAL EXPERIENCE WITH THE STUDY POPULATION. OF THOSE ENROLLED, 18 STARTED THE INTERVENTION. FOR ADHERENCE, 12 OUT OF 18 (67%) PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED THE INTERVENTION. ALL (100%), WHO COMPLETED THE INTERVENTION, CONTINUED TO PRACTICE YOGA 3 MONTHS AFTER COMPLETING THE STUDY. USING NONPARAMETRIC TESTS, SELECTED OUTCOME MEASURES SHOWED A MEASURABLE CHANGE POST-INTERVENTION SUGGESTING APPROPRIATE USE IN FUTURE STUDIES. AN IN-PERSON COMPUTERIZED QUESTIONNAIRE WAS DETERMINED TO BE A FEASIBLE METHOD OF DATA COLLECTION. CONCLUSIONS: FINDINGS FROM THIS PILOT STUDY CONFIRM THE FEASIBILITY OF OFFERING YOGA TO THIS RACIALLY/ETHNICALLY DIVERSE POPULATION WITH ARTHRITIS. THIS ARTICLE PROVIDES RECRUITMENT/RETENTION RATES, OUTCOME MEASURES WITH ERROR RATES, AND DATA COLLECTION RECOMMENDATIONS FOR A PREVIOUSLY UNDER-REPRESENTED POPULATION. SUGGESTIONS INCLUDE ALLOCATING RESOURCES FOR TRANSLATION AND USING A MULTICULTURAL DESIGN TO FACILITATE RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION. TRIAL REGISTRATION: CLINICALTRIALS.GOV, NCT01617421. 2018 14 2346 24 USING REALIST EVALUATION TO UNDERSTAND PROCESS OUTCOMES IN A COVID-19-IMPACTED YOGA INTERVENTION TRIAL: A WORKED EXAMPLE. REALIST EVALUATION OFFERS A VALUABLE WAY TO UNDERSTAND HOW INTERVENTIONS FUNCTION AND THUS HOW THEY CAN BE IMPROVED AND LOCALLY ADAPTED. CONSEQUENTLY, REALIST EVALUATION IS INCREASINGLY CONDUCTED IN PARALLEL WITH INTERVENTION TRIALS. IT COMPRISES A CLEAR PHILOSOPHICAL FOUNDATION AND VIEW OF CAUSALITY, PRAGMATIC MIXED DATA COLLECTION METHODS, AND A THEORY-DRIVEN APPROACH IN WHICH HYPOTHESISED PROGRAM THEORIES ARE TESTED AND REFINED. HOWEVER, DETAILED METHODS FOR DATA ANALYSIS ARE SELDOM WELL-DESCRIBED IN REALIST STUDIES AND NO CLEAR METHOD FOR ANALYSING AND PRESENTING REALIST EVALUATION DATA HAS YET EMERGED. IN THIS METHODOLOGICAL PAPER WE USE THE WORKED EXAMPLE OF OUR REALIST PROCESS EVALUATION OF THE SAGE YOGA TRIAL TO ILLUSTRATE AN APPLIED PROCESS OF DATA ANALYSIS AND PRESENTATION OF FINDINGS. WE SHOW HOW WE DREW ON OTHER REALIST STUDIES FOR IDEAS, PROVIDE EXAMPLES OF SIX KEY TASKS INVOLVED IN CONDUCTING A REALIST PROCESS EVALUATION (INCLUDING CODING DATA AND STRUCTURING RESULTS) AND DESCRIBE STRATEGIES THAT DID NOT WORK AND OUR RATIONALE FOR REJECTING THEM. THIS DETAILED ACCOUNT OF THE DECISIONS AND METHODS THAT WORKED FOR US IS INTENDED TO PROVIDE A PRACTICAL AND INFORMED POINT OF DEPARTURE FOR RESEARCHERS CONDUCTING A REALIST EVALUATION. 2021 15 2574 16 YOGA FOR EVERYONE: A QUALITATIVE STUDY OF A COMMUNITY YOGA CLASS FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITY. BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: PEOPLE WITH MOBILITY IMPAIRMENTS FACE INCREASED BARRIERS TO PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. THE STUDY AIMED TO UNDERSTAND THE LIVED EXPERIENCES OF INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITY WHO ARE REGULAR PARTICIPANTS IN THE YOGA FOR EVERYONE CLASS TO INFORM FUTURE RESEARCH, INTERVENTION AND COMMUNITY PROGRAMS.METHODS: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL QUALITATIVE APPROACH UTILIZED SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEWS AND CLASS OBSERVATIONS. DATA WAS ANALYZED THROUGH ITERATIVE INDUCTIVE THEMATIC ANALYSIS.RESULTS: SIX PEOPLE OF VARIED MOBILITY LIMITATIONS PARTICIPATED. THEMATIC ANALYSIS REVEALED THEMES ON INFLUENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL AND PERSONAL FACTORS, A HOLISTIC-FOCUSED CLASS ENVIRONMENT, PHYSICAL IMPROVEMENTS, MENTAL/EMOTIONAL IMPACT, AND A SENSE OF BELONGING TO COMMUNITY.CONCLUSION: THE YOGA FOR EVERYONE CLASS FOSTERED MULTI-FACETED OUTCOMES FOR PEOPLE WITH DIVERSE MOVEMENT IMPAIRMENTS. FOCUSING ON COMMUNITY-CLINICAL PARTNERSHIPS, UTILIZING A CLASS STRUCTURE WITH VOLUNTEERS, AND FOSTERING AN ONGOING INCLUSIVE SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT ARE POTENTIAL STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS IN OTHER COMMUNITY PROGRAMS FOR THOSE WITH DISABILITY. 2022 16 1903 25 RESULTS FROM A CLINICAL YOGA PROGRAM FOR VETERANS: YOGA VIA TELEHEALTH PROVIDES COMPARABLE SATISFACTION AND HEALTH IMPROVEMENTS TO IN-PERSON YOGA. BACKGROUND: YOGA IS INCREASINGLY POPULAR, THOUGH LITTLE DATA REGARDING ITS IMPLEMENTATION IN HEALTHCARE SETTINGS IS AVAILABLE. SIMILARLY, TELEHEALTH IS BEING UTILIZED MORE FREQUENTLY TO INCREASE ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE; HOWEVER WE KNOW OF NO RESEARCH ON THE ACCEPTABILITY OR EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA DELIVERED THROUGH TELEHEALTH. THEREFORE, WE EVALUATED THE FEASIBILITY, ACCEPTABILITY, AND PATIENT-REPORTED EFFECTIVENESS OF A CLINICAL YOGA PROGRAM AT A VETERANS AFFAIRS MEDICAL CENTER AND ASSESSED WHETHER THESE OUTCOMES DIFFERED BETWEEN THOSE PARTICIPATING IN-PERSON AND THOSE PARTICIPATING VIA TELEHEALTH. METHODS: VETERANS WHO ATTENDED A YOGA CLASS AT THE VA PALO ALTO HEALTH CARE SYSTEM WERE INVITED TO COMPLETE AN ANONYMOUS PROGRAM EVALUATION SURVEY. RESULTS: 64 VETERANS COMPLETED THE SURVEY. PARTICIPANTS REPORTED HIGH SATISFACTION WITH THE CLASSES AND THE INSTRUCTORS. MORE THAN 80% OF PARTICIPANTS WHO ENDORSED A PROBLEM WITH PAIN, ENERGY LEVEL, DEPRESSION, OR ANXIETY REPORTED IMPROVEMENT IN THESE SYMPTOMS. THOSE WHO PARTICIPATED VIA TELEHEALTH DID NOT DIFFER FROM THOSE WHO PARTICIPATED IN-PERSON IN ANY MEASURE OF SATISFACTION, OVERALL IMPROVEMENT (P = .40), OR IMPROVEMENT IN ANY OF 16 SPECIFIC HEALTH PROBLEMS. CONCLUSIONS: DELIVERING YOGA TO A WIDE RANGE OF PATIENTS WITHIN A HEALTHCARE SETTING APPEARS TO BE FEASIBLE AND ACCEPTABLE, BOTH WHEN DELIVERED IN-PERSON AND VIA TELEHEALTH. PATIENTS IN THIS CLINICAL YOGA PROGRAM REPORTED HIGH LEVELS OF SATISFACTION AND IMPROVEMENT IN MULTIPLE PROBLEM AREAS. THIS PRELIMINARY EVIDENCE FOR THE EFFECTIVENESS OF A CLINICAL YOGA PROGRAM COMPLEMENTS PRIOR EVIDENCE FOR THE EFFICACY OF YOGA AND SUPPORTS THE USE OF YOGA IN HEALTHCARE SETTINGS. 2017 17 122 32 A PILOT STUDY OF YOGA AS SELF-CARE FOR ARTHRITIS IN MINORITY COMMUNITIES. BACKGROUND: WHILE ARTHRITIS IS THE MOST COMMON CAUSE OF DISABILITY, NON-HISPANIC BLACKS AND HISPANICS EXPERIENCE WORSE ARTHRITIS IMPACT DESPITE HAVING THE SAME OR LOWER PREVALENCE OF ARTHRITIS COMPARED TO NON-HISPANIC WHITES. PEOPLE WITH ARTHRITIS WHO EXERCISE REGULARLY HAVE LESS PAIN, MORE ENERGY, AND IMPROVED SLEEP, YET ARTHRITIS IS ONE OF THE MOST COMMON REASONS FOR LIMITING PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. MIND-BODY INTERVENTIONS, SUCH AS YOGA, THAT TEACH STRESS MANAGEMENT ALONG WITH PHYSICAL ACTIVITY MAY BE WELL SUITED FOR INVESTIGATION IN BOTH OSTEOARTHRITIS AND RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS. YOGA USERS ARE PREDOMINANTLY WHITE, FEMALE, AND COLLEGE EDUCATED. THERE ARE FEW STUDIES THAT EXAMINE YOGA IN MINORITY POPULATIONS; NONE ADDRESS ARTHRITIS. THIS PAPER PRESENTS A STUDY PROTOCOL EXAMINING THE FEASIBILITY AND ACCEPTABILITY OF PROVIDING YOGA TO AN URBAN, MINORITY POPULATION WITH ARTHRITIS. METHODS/DESIGN: IN THIS ONGOING PILOT STUDY, A CONVENIENCE SAMPLE OF 20 MINORITY ADULTS DIAGNOSED WITH EITHER OSTEOARTHRITIS OR RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS UNDERGO AN 8-WEEK PROGRAM OF YOGA CLASSES. IT IS BELIEVED THAT BY ATTENDING YOGA CLASSES DESIGNED FOR PATIENTS WITH ARTHRITIS, WITH RACIALLY CONCORDANT INSTRUCTORS; ACCEPTABILITY OF YOGA AS AN ADJUNCT TO STANDARD ARTHRITIS TREATMENT AND SELF-CARE WILL BE ENHANCED. SELF-CARE IS DEFINED AS ADOPTING BEHAVIORS THAT IMPROVE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL WELL-BEING. THIS CONCEPT IS QUANTIFIED THROUGH COLLECTING PATIENT-REPORTED OUTCOME MEASURES RELATED TO SPIRITUAL GROWTH, HEALTH RESPONSIBILITY, INTERPERSONAL RELATIONS, AND STRESS MANAGEMENT. ADDITIONAL MEASURES COLLECTED DURING THIS STUDY INCLUDE: PHYSICAL FUNCTION, ANXIETY/DEPRESSION, FATIGUE, SLEEP DISTURBANCE, SOCIAL ROLES, AND PAIN; AS WELL AS BASELINE DEMOGRAPHIC AND CLINICAL DATA. FIELD NOTES, QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DATA REGARDING FEASIBILITY AND ACCEPTABILITY ARE ALSO COLLECTED. ACCEPTABILITY IS DETERMINED BY RESPONSE/RETENTION RATES, POSITIVE QUALITATIVE DATA, AND CONTINUING YOGA PRACTICE AFTER THREE MONTHS. DISCUSSION: THERE ARE A NUMBER OF CHALLENGES IN RECRUITING AND RETAINING PARTICIPANTS FROM A COMMUNITY CLINIC SERVING MINORITY POPULATIONS. ADOPTING BEHAVIORS THAT IMPROVE WELL-BEING AND QUALITY OF LIFE INCLUDE THOSE THAT INTEGRATE MENTAL HEALTH (MIND) AND PHYSICAL HEALTH (BODY). FEW STUDIES HAVE EXAMINED OFFERING INTEGRATIVE MODALITIES TO THIS POPULATION. THIS PILOT WAS UNDERTAKEN TO QUANTIFY MEASURES OF FEASIBILITY AND ACCEPTABILITY THAT WILL BE USEFUL WHEN EVALUATING FUTURE PLANS FOR EXPANDING THE STUDY OF YOGA IN URBAN, MINORITY POPULATIONS WITH ARTHRITIS. TRIAL REGISTRATION: CLINICALTRIALS.GOV: NCT01617421. 2013 18 20 29 "WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER": A QUALITATIVE STUDY OF PREDOMINANTLY LOW INCOME MINORITY PARTICIPANTS IN A YOGA TRIAL FOR CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN. OBJECTIVE: TO EXPLORE THE EXPERIENCES OF LOW-INCOME MINORITY ADULTS TAKING PART IN A YOGA DOSING TRIAL FOR CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN. DESIGN: INDIVIDUAL SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEWS WERE CONDUCTED WITH NINETEEN PARTICIPANTS RECRUITED FROM A RANDOMIZED YOGA DOSING TRIAL FOR PREDOMINANTLY LOW-INCOME MINORITY ADULTS WITH CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN. INTERVIEWS DISCUSSED THE IMPACT OF YOGA ON LOW BACK PAIN AND EMOTIONS; OTHER PERCEIVED ADVANTAGES OR DISADVANTAGES OF THE INTERVENTION; AND FACILITATORS AND BARRIERS TO PRACTICING YOGA. INTERVIEWS WERE AUDIO TAPED AND TRANSCRIBED, CODED USING ATLAS.TI SOFTWARE, AND ANALYZED WITH INDUCTIVE AND DEDUCTIVE THEMATIC ANALYSIS METHODS. SETTING: BOSTON MEDICAL CENTER, BOSTON, MA, USA. RESULTS: PARTICIPANTS VIEWED YOGA AS A MEANS OF PAIN RELIEF AND ATTRIBUTED IMPROVED MOOD, GREATER ABILITY TO MANAGE STRESS, AND ENHANCED RELAXATION TO YOGA. OVERALL, PARTICIPANTS FELT EMPOWERED TO SELF-MANAGE THEIR PAIN. SOME FOUND YOGA TO BE HELPFUL IN BEING MINDFUL OF THEIR EMOTIONS AND ACCEPTING OF THEIR PAIN. TRUST IN THE YOGA INSTRUCTORS WAS A COMMONLY CITED FACILITATOR FOR YOGA CLASS ATTENDANCE. LACK OF TIME, MOTIVATION, AND FEAR OF INJURY WERE REPORTED BARRIERS TO YOGA PRACTICE. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA IS A MULTIDIMENSIONAL TREATMENT FOR LOW BACK PAIN THAT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO FAVORABLY IMPACT HEALTH IN A PREDOMINANTLY LOW-INCOME MINORITY POPULATION. 2016 19 1431 34 IMPROVING ACCESS TO YOGA: BARRIERS TO AND MOTIVATORS FOR PRACTICE AMONG HEALTH PROFESSIONS STUDENTS. BACKGROUND: YOGA IS GAINING MOMENTUM AS A POPULAR AND EVIDENCE-BASED, INTEGRATIVE HEALTH CARE AND SELF-CARE PRACTICE. THE CHARACTERISTICS OF YOGA PRACTITIONERS ARE NOT PROPORTIONAL TO THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF THE GENERAL POPULATION, ESPECIALLY WITH RESPECT TO GENDER AND ETHNICITY. SEVERAL ACCESS BARRIERS HAVE BEEN IMPLICATED (EG, TIME, COST, AND ACCESS TO TEACHERS). NO STUDIES HAVE EXPLORED THE BARRIERS TO PRACTICE AMONG HEALTH PROFESSIONS STUDENTS. THEIR PARTICIPATION IN YOGA IS DEEMED IMPORTANT BECAUSE THEY ARE FUTURE HEALTH PROFESSIONALS WHO WILL MAKE REFERRALS TO OTHER SERVICES. RESEARCH HAS SHOWN THAT PROVIDERS WHO PRACTICE YOGA REFER MORE PATIENTS TO YOGA. OBJECTIVE: TO INCREASE YOGA PRACTICE AMONG HEALTH PROFESSIONS STUDENTS, AN UNDERSTANDING MUST BE DEVELOPED OF FACTORS THAT INTERFERE WITH OR FACILITATE A REGULAR YOGA PRACTICE. THE CURRENT STUDY INTENDED TO IDENTIFY SUCH BARRIERS AND MOTIVATORS. DESIGN: THIS STUDY WAS A SMALL POPULATION SURVEY. SETTING: THE SETTING WAS A PRIVATE UNIVERSITY IN THE NORTHWESTERN UNITED STATES, INCLUDING STUDENTS IN 3 OF ITS COLLEGES AND 10 PROFESSIONAL PROGRAMS. PARTICIPANTS: ALL STUDENTS (N = 1585) IN THE PROGRAMS OF THE 10 HEALTH PROFESSIONS RECEIVED E-MAIL REQUESTS FOR PARTICIPATION. OUTCOME MEASURES: THE ACCEPTABILITY OF YOGA SURVEY WAS DEVELOPED FOR PURPOSES OF A LARGER YOGA PERCEPTIONS STUDY AND IMPLEMENTED WITH HEALTH PROFESSIONS STUDENTS. PARTICIPANTS WERE SOLICITED VIA E-MAIL; THE SURVEY WAS ADMINISTERED ONLINE. THE CURRENT STUDY USED DATA FROM THAT SURVEY. RESULTS: OF THE 498 USABLE, COMPLETED SURVEYS (IE, A RESPONSE RATE OF APPROXIMATELY 30%), 478 WERE RELEVANT TO THE CURRENT STUDY. THE SAMPLE'S DEMOGRAPHICS--78% WOMEN AND 79% WHITE--DID NOT DIFFER SIGNIFICANTLY FROM THE POPULATION'S DEMOGRAPHICS. THE FINDINGS REVEALED THE EXISTENCE OF COMMON BARRIERS THAT WERE RELATED TO (1) TIME; (2) COST; (3) LACK OF PRAGMATIC INFORMATION ABOUT ACCESS TO YOGA CLASSES AND TEACHERS; AND (4) STEREOTYPES RELATED TO FLEXIBILITY, ATHLETICISM, AND TYPICAL YOGA PRACTITIONERS. MOTIVATORS INCLUDED ATHLETICISM, HEALTH PROMOTION, AND EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING AS WELL AS THE SEEKING OF PAIN RELIEF AND A SENSE OF COMMUNITY. A REFERRAL BY HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS WAS THE LEAST-FREQUENTLY CITED MOTIVATOR. CONCLUSIONS: THE FINDINGS HAVE IMPLICATIONS FOR STRATEGIES THAT MAY HELP MOTIVATE HEALTH PROFESSIONALS TOWARD A YOGA PRACTICE, BECAUSE HAVING DONE YOGA PERSONALLY MAY BE RELATED TO A WILLINGNESS TO PERCEIVE THE BENEFITS OF AND TO REFER PATIENTS TO YOGA AS A VIABLE INTEGRATIVE TREATMENT FOR PATIENTS. IMPROVED ACCESS CAN BE DEVELOPED IN 3 WAYS: (1) INTEGRATION OF YOGA RESEARCH INTO HEALTH CURRICULA TO ACQUAINT CARE PROVIDERS WITH YOGA'S BENEFITS TO PATIENTS AND CARE GIVERS; (2) HAVE YOGA AVAILABLE AS CLOSE TO THE WORKPLACE AS POSSIBLE TO OBVIATE SOME OF THE LARGER ACCESS BARRIERS; AND (3) SOCIETALLY, PROJECT YOGA AS A HEALING ART AND SCIENCE, NOT SIMPLY AS A WEIGHT LOSS STRATEGY OR ATHLETIC ENDEAVOR. 2015 20 2824 40 YOGA VERSUS EDUCATION FOR VETERANS WITH CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN: STUDY PROTOCOL FOR A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. BACKGROUND: CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN IS THE MOST FREQUENT PAIN CONDITION IN VETERANS AND CAUSES SUBSTANTIAL SUFFERING, DECREASED FUNCTIONAL CAPACITY, AND LOWER QUALITY OF LIFE. SYMPTOMS OF POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS, DEPRESSION, AND MILD TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY ARE HIGHLY PREVALENT IN VETERANS WITH BACK PAIN. YOGA FOR LOW BACK PAIN HAS BEEN DEMONSTRATED TO BE EFFECTIVE FOR CIVILIANS IN RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS. HOWEVER, IT IS UNKNOWN IF RESULTS FROM PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED TRIALS GENERALIZE TO MILITARY POPULATIONS. METHODS/DESIGN: THIS STUDY IS A PARALLEL RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL COMPARING YOGA TO EDUCATION FOR 120 VETERANS WITH CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN. PARTICIPANTS ARE VETERANS >/=18 YEARS OLD WITH LOW BACK PAIN PRESENT ON AT LEAST HALF THE DAYS IN THE PAST SIX MONTHS AND A SELF-REPORTED AVERAGE PAIN INTENSITY IN THE PREVIOUS WEEK OF >/=4 ON A 0-10 SCALE. THE 24-WEEK STUDY HAS AN INITIAL 12-WEEK INTERVENTION PERIOD, WHERE PARTICIPANTS ARE RANDOMIZED EQUALLY INTO (1) A STANDARDIZED WEEKLY GROUP YOGA CLASS WITH HOME PRACTICE OR (2) EDUCATION DELIVERED WITH A SELF-CARE BOOK. PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURES ARE CHANGE AT 12 WEEKS IN LOW BACK PAIN INTENSITY MEASURED BY THE DEFENSE AND VETERANS PAIN RATING SCALE (0-10) AND BACK-RELATED FUNCTION USING THE 23-POINT ROLAND MORRIS DISABILITY QUESTIONNAIRE. IN THE SUBSEQUENT 12-WEEK FOLLOW-UP PERIOD, YOGA PARTICIPANTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO CONTINUE HOME YOGA PRACTICE AND EDUCATION PARTICIPANTS CONTINUE FOLLOWING RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE BOOK. QUALITATIVE INTERVIEWS WITH VETERANS IN THE YOGA GROUP AND THEIR PARTNERS EXPLORE THE IMPACT OF CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN AND YOGA ON FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS. WE ALSO ASSESS COST-EFFECTIVENESS FROM THREE PERSPECTIVES: THE VETERAN, THE VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, AND SOCIETY USING ELECTRONIC MEDICAL RECORDS, SELF-REPORTED COST DATA, AND STUDY RECORDS. DISCUSSION: THIS STUDY WILL HELP DETERMINE IF YOGA CAN BECOME AN EFFECTIVE TREATMENT FOR VETERANS WITH CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN AND PSYCHOLOGICAL COMORBIDITIES. TRIAL REGISTRATION: CLINICALTRIALS.GOV: NCT02224183. 2016