1 1750 98 PILOT STUDY OF YOGA FOR BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS WITH POOR QUALITY OF LIFE. INTRODUCTION: STUDIES SHOW BENEFITS OF YOGA FOR BREAST CANCER PATIENTS WITH POOR QUALITY OF LIFE (QOL); HOWEVER, NONE EXCLUSIVELY FOCUS ON SURVIVORS. THIS STUDY ADDRESSES WHETHER HATHA YOGA IMPROVES BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS' QOL. METHODS: 25 BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS COMPLETED SIX WEEKS OF YOGA. OUTCOME MEASURES WERE 5 QOL CATEGORIES EVALUATED USING THE FACT-B SURVEY PRE AND POST-INTERVENTION AND AFTER 6 MONTHS. RESULTS: EACH CATEGORY WAS EVALUATED INDEPENDENTLY, INCLUDING: PHYSICAL (PWB), SOCIAL (SWB), EMOTIONAL (EWB), FUNCTIONAL (FWB), BREAST CANCER SPECIFIC WELL-BEING (BCS), TRIAL OUTCOME INDEX (TOI), FACT-G, AND FACT-B. SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT WAS FOUND IN ALL CATEGORIES EXCEPT SOCIAL WELL-BEING (PWB P = .013, EWB P = .005, FWB P = .003, BCS P < .001, TOI P < .001, FACT-G P = .004, FACT-B P < .001). PATIENTS WITH BELOW AVERAGE PRE-INTERVENTION INDEX SCORES (N = 13) SHOWED GREATER IMPROVEMENT IN EWB AND FWB, WHILE THOSE WITH ABOVE AVERAGE PRE-INTERVENTION SCORES (N = 9) SHOWED GREATER IMPROVEMENT IN PWB. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA MAY BE FEASIBLE AND CLINICALLY USEFUL FOR BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS WITH POOR QOL. 2012 2 2537 23 YOGA EXPERIENCE AS A PREDICTOR OF PSYCHOLOGICAL WELLNESS IN WOMEN OVER 45 YEARS. BACKGROUND: ALTHOUGH HIGH LEVELS OF SUBJECTIVE WELL-BEING (SWB) ARE COMMON IN OLD AGE, A SUBSET OF OLDER INDIVIDUALS IS DISPROPORTIONATELY VULNERABLE TO NEGATIVE AFFECT. YOGA HAS BEEN SHOWN TO HAVE MANY SHORT-TERM BENEFITS, BUT RESEARCHERS HAVE NOT DETERMINED WHETHER A LONG-TERM OR FREQUENT YOGA PRACTICE INCREASINGLY PROTECTS OLDER WOMEN FROM LOW LEVELS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING. AIMS: THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO EXAMINE THE EXTENT TO WHICH PSYCHOLOGICAL ATTITUDES, TRANSCENDENCE, MENTAL MASTERY, AND SUBJECTIVE VITALITY IN A SAMPLE OF FEMALE YOGA PRACTITIONERS OVER 45 YEARS VARIED ACCORDING TO THE LENGTH AND FREQUENCY OF YOGA PRACTICE. MATERIALS AND METHODS: WE ADMINISTERED ONLINE SURVEYS TO A NON-PROBABILITY SAMPLE OF 211 FEMALE YOGA PRACTITIONERS 45 TO 80. WE USED WEIGHTED LEAST SQUARES REGRESSION ANALYSES TO EVALUATE THE RELATIONSHIP OF EXTENT OF YOGA EXPERIENCE TO THE OUTCOME VARIABLES AFTER ACCOUNTING FOR AGE AND LIFESTYLE FACTORS. RESULTS: PARTICIPANTS HAD PRACTICED YOGA FOR AS LONG AS 50 YEARS AND FOR UP TO 28 H PER WEEK. THERE WERE SIGNIFICANT POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN YOGA EXPERIENCE AND ALL OUTCOME VARIABLES. THESE SIGNIFICANT RELATIONSHIPS REMAINED AFTER ACCOUNTING FOR AGE AND LIFESTYLE FACTORS. WHEN WE COMPUTED YOGA EXPERIENCE IN TERMS OF TOTAL CALENDAR YEARS, WITHOUT ACCOUNTING FOR HOURS OF PRACTICE, SIGNIFICANT RELATIONSHIPS DID NOT REMAIN. TRANSCENDENCE OF THE ORDINARY WAS THE MOST STRONGLY ASSOCIATED WITH CURRENT YOGA PRACTICE FREQUENCY, AND POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGICAL ATTITUDES WERE THE MOST STRONGLY ASSOCIATED WITH TOTAL LIFETIME HOURS OF PRACTICE. CONCLUSIONS: AMONG A NON-PROBABILITY SAMPLE OF FEMALE YOGA PRACTITIONERS BETWEEN 45 AND 80 YEARS, INCREASED YOGA EXPERIENCE PREDICTED INCREASED LEVELS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING. RESULTS SHOWED A DOSE-RESPONSE EFFECT, WITH YOGA EXPERIENCE EXERCISING AN INCREASINGLY PROTECTIVE EFFECT AGAINST LOW LEVELS OF SWB AND VITALITY. 2013 3 1440 22 INCREASED HATHA YOGA EXPERIENCE PREDICTS LOWER BODY MASS INDEX AND REDUCED MEDICATION USE IN WOMEN OVER 45 YEARS. BACKGROUND: YOGA HAS BEEN SHOWN TO HAVE MANY SHORT-TERM HEALTH BENEFITS, BUT LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT THE EXTENT TO WHICH THESE BENEFITS ACCRUE OVER A LONG TIME FRAME OR WITH FREQUENT PRACTICE. AIMS: THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO EXAMINE THE EXTENT TO WHICH BODY MASS INDEX (BMI) AND MEDICATION USE IN A SAMPLE OF FEMALE YOGA PRACTITIONERS OVER 45 YEARS VARIED ACCORDING TO THE LENGTH AND FREQUENCY OF YOGA PRACTICE. MATERIALS AND METHODS: WE ADMINISTERED ONLINE SURVEYS TO 211 FEMALE YOGA PRACTITIONERS AGED 45 TO 80 YEARS. WE USED REGRESSION ANALYSES TO EVALUATE THE RELATIONSHIP OF EXTENT OF YOGA EXPERIENCE TO BOTH BMI AND MEDICATION USE AFTER ACCOUNTING FOR AGE AND LIFESTYLE FACTORS. WE ALSO CONDUCTED COMPARISONS WITH 182 MATCHED CONTROLS. RESULTS: PARTICIPANTS HAD PRACTICED YOGA FOR AS LONG AS 50 YEARS AND FOR UP TO 28 HOURS PER WEEK. THERE WERE SIGNIFICANT INVERSE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN YOGA EXPERIENCE AND BOTH BMI AND MEDICATION LOAD. THESE SIGNIFICANT RELATIONSHIPS REMAINED AFTER ACCOUNTING FOR AGE AND LIFESTYLE FACTORS. WHEN WE COMPUTED YOGA EXPERIENCE IN TERMS OF TOTAL CALENDAR YEARS, WITHOUT ACCOUNTING FOR HOURS OF PRACTICE, SIGNIFICANT RELATIONSHIPS DID NOT REMAIN. HOWEVER, THERE WAS NO OBESITY IN THE 49 PARTICIPANTS WITH MORE THAN 25 YEARS OF YOGA PRACTICE. YOGA PRACTITIONERS WERE LESS LIKELY THAN NON-PRACTITIONERS TO USE MEDICATION FOR METABOLIC SYNDROME, MOOD DISORDERS, INFLAMMATION, AND PAIN. CONCLUSIONS: A LONG-TERM YOGA PRACTICE WAS ASSOCIATED WITH LITTLE OR NO OBESITY IN A NON-PROBABILITY SAMPLE OF WOMEN OVER 45 YEARS. RELATIONSHIPS SHOWED A DOSE-RESPONSE EFFECT, WITH INCREASED YOGA EXPERIENCE PREDICTING LOWER BMI AND REDUCED MEDICATION USE. 2011 4 1271 20 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 5 1207 25 EXPERIENCES OF WOMEN WHO PARTICIPATED IN A BETA-TEST FOR AN ONLINE-STREAMED YOGA INTERVENTION AFTER A STILLBIRTH. BACKGROUND: LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT HOW TO BEST CARE FOR MOTHERS AFTER STILLBIRTH. AS SUCH, THIS PAPER WILL REPORT THE SATISFACTION AND PERCEPTIONS OF AN ONLINE YOGA INTERVENTION (12-WEEK BETA TEST) IN WOMEN AFTER STILLBIRTH. METHODS: PARTICIPANTS (N=74) HAD A STILLBIRTH WITHIN THE LAST 24-MONTHS (M TIME SINCE LOSS 9.65 +/- 6.9 MONTHS). POST-INTERVENTION SATISFACTION SURVEYS AND INTERVIEWS AND DROPOUT SURVEYS WERE CONDUCTED. DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS WERE USED TO ANALYZE SURVEY RESPONSES AND DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION. A PHENOMENOLOGICAL APPROACH WAS USED TO EXPLORE AND UNDERSTAND UNIQUE EXPERIENCES OF PARTICIPANT INTERVIEWS. DATA WERE ANALYZED USING NVIVO10. RESULTS: TWENTY-SIX WOMEN (M AGE 33.73 +/- 4.38) WERE COMPLETERS (> 3 WKS OF YOGA), 26 (M AGE 31.82 +/- 4.13) WERE NON-COMPLETERS (< 3 WKS OF YOGA), AND 22 (M AGE 32.94 +/- 2.93) DROPPED OUT. TWENTY COMPLETERS PARTICIPATED IN A POST-INTERVENTION SATISFACTION SURVEY WITH 75% (N=15) REPORTING BEING VERY SATISFIED OR SATISFIED WITH THE ONLINE YOGA INTERVENTION, FOUND IT TO BE VERY ENJOYABLE OR ENJOYABLE, AND VERY HELPFUL OR HELPFUL TO COPE WITH GRIEF. SATISFACTION AND PERCEPTIONS OF THE INTERVENTION IN THOSE WHO COMPLETED AN INTERVIEW (N=12) WERE CLUSTERED AROUND THE FOLLOWING THEMES: BENEFITS, BARRIERS, DISLIKES, SATISFACTION, AND PREFERENCES. OF THE 22 DROPOUTS, 14 COMPLETED A DROPOUT SURVEY. WOMEN WITHDREW FROM THE STUDY DUE TO PREGNANCY (N=3, 21%), BURDEN (N=3, 21%), STRESS (N=2, 14%), LACK OF TIME (N=2, 14%), DID NOT ENJOY (N=1, 7%), AND OTHER (N=3, 21%). CONCLUSION: FINDINGS HERE MAY BE USED TO HELP DESIGN FUTURE RESEARCH. 2017 6 365 24 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 7 291 25 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 8 1662 25 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 9 1946 18 SATISFACTION WITH ONLINE VERSUS IN-PERSON YOGA DURING COVID-19. INTRODUCTION: DURING COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS, YOGA CLASSES TRANSITIONED TO ONLINE DELIVERY. THIS REPORT COMPARES THE PERCEIVED BENEFITS AND BARRIERS TO ONLINE AND IN-PERSON YOGA AND DETERMINE THE PREFERRED FORMAT. A SECONDARY AIM WAS TO COMPARE HOW WELL EACH FORMAT WAS PERCEIVED TO PRODUCE COMMON BENEFITS OF YOGA PRACTICE. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A CROSS-SECTIONAL ONLINE SURVEY OF AUSTRALIAN PARTICIPANTS. RESULTS: IN-PERSON YOGA SCORED HIGHEST FOR PROVIDING MENTAL HEALTH/MOOD BENEFITS, PHYSICAL SATISFACTION, AND FEELING ENERGIZED. ONLINE YOGA SCORED HIGHEST FOR CONVENIENCE, MENTAL HEALTH/MOOD BENEFITS, AND AFFORDABILITY (INITIAL N = 156; FOLLOW-UP N = 55). CONCLUSION: ONLINE YOGA WAS ACCEPTABLE AND PERCEIVED TO PROVIDE IMPROVED MENTAL HEALTH AND MOOD. 2021 10 121 35 A PILOT STUDY OF THE FEASIBILITY AND OUTCOMES OF YOGA FOR LUNG CANCER SURVIVORS. PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: TO DETERMINE THE FEASIBILITY OF A STANDARDIZED YOGA INTERVENTION FOR SURVIVORS OF NON-SMALL CELL LUNG CANCER (NSCLC) AND, EFFECTS ON SLEEP, MOOD, SALIVARY CORTISOL LEVELS, AND QUALITY OF LIFE (QOL). DESIGN: THIS 14-WEEK, ONE-GROUP, REPEATED-MEASURES STUDY INCLUDED A THREE-WEEK PREINTERVENTION PHASE, EIGHT WEEKS OF YOGA CLASSES (40 MINUTES ONCE PER WEEK) AND HOME PRACTICE, AND A THREE-WEEK POSTINTERVENTION PHASE. FOLLOW-UP OCCURRED AT THREE AND SIX MONTHS POSTSTUDY. SETTING: A COMMUNITY-BASED CANCER SUPPORT CENTER IN THE MIDWESTERN UNITED STATES. SAMPLE: 7 ADULTS WHO HAD COMPLETED INITIAL TREATMENT FOR STAGES I-IIIA NSCLC. METHODS: A STANDARDIZED YOGA PROTOCOL WAS DEVELOPED PRIOR TO THE STUDY BY EXPERTS IN THE FIELD. BREATHING EASE WAS MONITORED BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER CLASSES TO ASSESS FEASIBILITY OF MOVEMENT WITHOUT COMPROMISING RESPIRATORY STATUS WHILE DOING YOGA. DATA ANALYSIS INCLUDED DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS, REPEATED-MEASURES ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE, AND SALIVARY CORTISOL ANALYSIS. MAIN RESEARCH VARIABLES: SLEEP QUALITY, MOOD, SALIVARY CORTISOL, AND QOL WERE ASSESSED USING THE PITTSBURGH SLEEP QUALITY INDEX, PROFILE OF MOOD STATES-BRIEF, A CORTISOL MEASUREMENT, AND THE MEDICAL OUTCOMES SURVEY SF-36(R), RESPECTIVELY. BREATHING EASE WAS ASSESSED USING A DYSPNEA NUMERIC RATING SCALE AS WELL AS OBSERVATION OF PARTICIPANTS. FINDINGS: PARTICIPANTS WITH VARYING STAGES OF DISEASE AND LENGTH OF SURVIVORSHIP WERE ABLE TO PERFORM YOGA WITHOUT RESPIRATORY DISTRESS. CLASS ATTENDANCE EXCEEDED 95%, AND ALL PRACTICED AT HOME. MOOD, SLEEP EFFICIENCY, AND QOL SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED; SALIVARY CORTISOL LEVELS DECREASED OVER TIME. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA WAS FEASIBLE FOR NSCLC SURVIVORS WITHOUT FURTHER COMPROMISING BREATHING WITH MOVEMENT. POTENTIAL BENEFITS WERE IDENTIFIED, SUPPORTING THE NEED FOR FUTURE CLINICAL TRIALS WITH LARGER SAMPLES STRATIFIED BY CANCER STAGE, TREATMENT, AND LENGTH OF SURVIVORSHIP. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING: NURSES AND HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS SHOULD CONSIDER YOGA AS A MIND-BODY PRACTICE TO MANAGE STRESS, IMPROVE MOOD AND SLEEP, AND POTENTIALLY ENHANCE QOL FOR NSCLC SURVIVORS. 2014 11 1340 24 HOW IS THE PRACTICE OF YOGA RELATED TO WEIGHT STATUS? POPULATION-BASED FINDINGS FROM PROJECT EAT-IV. BACKGROUND: YOGA MAY PROVIDE A STRATEGY FOR HEALTHY WEIGHT MANAGEMENT IN YOUNG ADULTS. THIS STUDY EXAMINED PREVALENCE AND CHARACTERISTICS OF YOUNG ADULTS' YOGA PRACTICE AND ASSOCIATIONS WITH CHANGES IN BODY MASS INDEX. METHODS: SURVEYS WERE COMPLETED BY 1830 YOUNG ADULTS (31.1 +/- 1.6 Y) PARTICIPATING IN PROJECT EAT-IV. CROSS-SECTIONAL AND 5-YEAR LONGITUDINAL ANALYSES WERE CONDUCTED STRATIFIED BY INITIAL WEIGHT STATUS. RESULTS: TWO-THIRDS (66.5%) OF NONOVERWEIGHT WOMEN AND 48.9% OF OVERWEIGHT WOMEN REPORTED EVER DOING YOGA, WHILE 27.2% OF NONOVERWEIGHT WOMEN AND 16.4% OF OVERWEIGHT WOMEN PRACTICED REGULARLY (>/=30 MIN/WK). FEWER MEN PRACTICED YOGA. AMONG YOUNG ADULTS PRACTICING REGULARLY (N = 294), DIFFERENCES WERE IDENTIFIED IN INTENSITY, TYPE, AND LOCATION OF YOGA PRACTICE ACROSS WEIGHT STATUS. YOUNG ADULTS WHO WERE OVERWEIGHT AND PRACTICED YOGA REGULARLY SHOWED A NONSIGNIFICANT 5-YEAR DECREASE IN THEIR BODY MASS INDEX (-0.60 KG/M(2); P = .49), WHEREAS THOSE NOT PRACTICING REGULARLY HAD SIGNIFICANT INCREASES IN THEIR BODY MASS INDEX (+1.37 KG/M(2); P < .01). FREQUENCY OF YOGA WAS INVERSELY ASSOCIATED WITH WEIGHT GAIN AMONG BOTH OVERWEIGHT AND NONOVERWEIGHT YOUNG ADULTS PRACTICING YOGA REGULARLY. CONCLUSIONS: YOUNG ADULTS OF DIFFERENT BODY SIZES PRACTICE YOGA. YOGA WAS ASSOCIATED WITH LESS WEIGHT GAIN OVER TIME, PARTICULARLY IN OVERWEIGHT YOUNG ADULTS. PRACTICING YOGA ON A REGULAR BASIS MAY HELP WITH WEIGHT GAIN PREVENTION. 2017 12 634 23 DISCREPANCIES BETWEEN PERCEPTIONS OF REAL AND IDEAL YOGA TEACHERS AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING. OBJECTIVES: ALTHOUGH MORE INDIVIDUALS ARE ADOPTING YOGA INTO THEIR LIVES, LITTLE RESEARCH HAS EXAMINED PRACTITIONERS' EXPECTATIONS AND EXPERIENCES OF THEIR YOGA INSTRUCTOR'S BEHAVIOR. DISCREPANCIES BETWEEN REAL AND IDEAL BEHAVIORS OF YOGA INSTRUCTORS MAY LEAD TO UNSATISFACTORY EXPERIENCES AND DECREASE THE POTENTIAL IMPACT OF YOGA PRACTICE. THIS STUDY INVESTIGATED DIFFERENCES BETWEEN YOGA PRACTITIONERS' REAL AND IDEAL PERCEPTIONS OF THEIR YOGA TEACHER'S BEHAVIOR AND THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DISCREPANT BELIEFS AND STUDENTS' SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION, ANXIETY,AND STRESS. METHODS: THE PERCEPTIONS OF YOGA TEACHER QUESTIONNAIRE (PYTQ), A RECENTLY DEVELOPED SURVEY OF STUDENT ATTITUDES REGARDING YOGA TEACHERS' BEHAVIOR, WAS ADMINISTERED INA NATIONAL ONLINE SURVEY OF YOGA STUDENTS AND TEACHERS. GREATER DISCREPANCY BETWEEN REAL AND IDEA YOGA TEACHER BEHAVIOR WAS ANTICIPATED TO BE POSITIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH PRACTITIONERS' SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, AND STRESS. RESULTS: PEARSON CORRELATIONS CORRECTED FOR MULTIPLE COMPARISONS REVEALED THAT YOGA STUDENTS AND TEACHERS ARE GENERALLY SATISFIED WITH THEIR TEACHER'S BEHAVIORS. SIGNIFICANT DISCREPANCIES BETWEEN REAL AND IDEAL TEACHER BEHAVIOR WERE FOUND FOR BOTH GROUPS. HIGHER DISCREPANCY SCORES WERE ASSOCIATED WITH SYMPTOMS OF STRESS AND ANXIETY BUT NOT DEPRESSION FOR STUDENTS, BUT NOT FOR TEACHERS. CONCLUSIONS: THESE PRELIMINARY FINDINGS PROVIDE INSIGHT INTO THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN EXPECTANCIES AND REAL YOGA TEACHER BEHAVIORS AND THEIR LINKS TO STUDENT EMOTIONAL ADJUSTMENT.MORE RESEARCH IN THIS AREA IS WARRANTED. 2013 13 339 17 ARE SCREENING BY YOGA INSTRUCTORS AND THEIR PRACTICE PATTERNS IMPORTANT TO PREVENT INJURIES IN YOGA CLIENTS? BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: LITTLE INFORMATION EXISTS REGARDING THE ASSOCIATION OF YOGA-RELATED INJURIES WITH YOGA INSTRUCTOR (YI) PRACTICE PATTERNS. THEREFORE, THIS CROSS-SECTIONAL SURVEY EXAMINED THE SCREENING AND PRACTICE CHARACTERISTICS OF YI AND ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH YOGA-RELATED INJURIES. METHODS AND MATERIALS: YI FROM NORTHEASTERN US COMPLETED A CUSTOMIZED WEB-BASED 57-ITEM QUESTIONNAIRE. RESULTS: THE RESPONSE RATE OF OUR QUESTIONNAIRE WAS 46%. IN THIS STUDY, ONLY 8.8% OF THE YI REPORTED PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE SCREENING AND 33.7% OF THE PARTICIPANTS DID MEDICAL SCREENINGS WITH THEIR CLIENTS. A BINOMIAL LOGISTIC REGRESSION ANALYSIS WITH THE ABOVE VARIABLES REVEALED THAT ADHERENCE TO TRAINING BY YI (P = 0.031) AND THE USE OF SUN SALUTATIONS (P = 0.002) PREDICTED LOWER YOGA-RELATED INJURIES IN CLIENTS REPORTED BY YI. CONCLUSIONS: REDUCTION IN CLIENT YOGA-RELATED INJURIES WAS PREDICTED BY YI ADHERING TO THEIR TRAINING AND PERFORMING SUN SALUTATIONS IN THEIR CLASSES. 2020 14 1025 24 EFFECTS OF YOGA ASANA PRACTICE APPROACH ON TYPES OF BENEFITS EXPERIENCED. CONTEXT: MODERN SCIENCE AND THE CLASSIC TEXT ON HATHA YOGA, HATHA YOGA PRADIPIKA, REPORT PHYSICAL, MENTAL, EMOTIONAL, SPIRITUAL, AND RELATIONAL BENEFITS OF YOGA PRACTICE. WHILE ALL HAVE SPECIFIC SUGGESTIONS FOR HOW TO PRACTICE, LITTLE RESEARCH HAS BEEN DONE TO ASCERTAIN WHETHER SPECIFIC PRACTICE APPROACHES IMPACT THE BENEFITS EXPERIENCED BY PRACTITIONERS. AIMS: OUR AIM WAS TO RELATE THE EXPERIENCE LEVEL OF THE PRACTITIONER, THE CONTEXT OF PRACTICE APPROACHES (TIME OF DAY, DURATION OF PRACTICE, FREQUENCY OF PRACTICE, ETC.), AND EXPERIENCE LEVEL OF THE TEACHER, TO THE LIKELIHOOD OF REPORTING PARTICULAR BENEFITS OF YOGA. METHODS: WE CONDUCTED A CROSS-SECTIONAL DESCRIPTIVE SURVEY OF YOGA PRACTITIONERS ACROSS LEVELS AND STYLES OF PRACTICE. DATA WERE COMPILED FROM A LARGE VOLUNTARY CONVENIENCE SAMPLE (N = 2620) REGARDING RESPONDENTS' METHODS OF PRACTICE, YOGA EXPERIENCE LEVELS, AND BENEFITS EXPERIENCED. MULTIPLE LOGISTIC REGRESSION WAS USED TO IDENTIFY APPROACHES TO YOGA PRACTICE THAT POSITIVELY PREDICTED PARTICULAR BENEFITS. RESULTS: FREQUENCY OF PRACTICE, EITHER WITH OR WITHOUT A TEACHER, WAS A POSITIVE PREDICTOR OF REPORTING NEARLY ALL BENEFITS OF YOGA, WITH AN INCREASED LIKELIHOOD OF EXPERIENCING MOST BENEFITS WHEN THE PRACTITIONER DID YOGA FIVE OR MORE DAYS PER WEEK. OTHER ASPECTS OF PRACTICE APPROACH, EXPERIENCE LEVEL OF THE PRACTITIONER, AND THE EXPERIENCE LEVEL OF THE TEACHER, HAD LESS EFFECT ON THE BENEFITS REPORTED. CONCLUSIONS: PRACTICE FREQUENCY OF AT LEAST 5 DAYS PER WEEK WILL PROVIDE PRACTITIONERS WITH THE GREATEST AMOUNT OF BENEFIT ACROSS ALL CATEGORIES OF BENEFITS. OTHER PRACTICE APPROACHES CAN VARY MORE WIDELY WITHOUT HAVING A MARKED IMPACT ON MOST BENEFITS EXPERIENCED. 2019 15 1150 34 ENHANCING ACCESS TO YOGA FOR OLDER MALE VETERANS AFTER CANCER: EXAMINING BELIEFS ABOUT YOGA. BACKGROUND: YOGA IS AN EFFECTIVE CLINICAL INTERVENTION FOR CANCER SURVIVORS. MOST STUDIES OF THE POSITIVE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON CANCER PATIENTS REPORT ON PREDOMINANTLY MIDDLE-AGED WOMEN WITH BREAST CANCER. LESS IS KNOWN ABOUT THE USE OF YOGA IN OLDER ADULTS, VETERANS, AND THOSE FROM DIVERSE RACIAL OR ETHNIC BACKGROUNDS. METHODS: WE EXAMINED STRATEGIES TO ENHANCE ACCESS TO YOGA IN OLDER VETERANS AFTER CANCER, FOCUSING ON EDUCATION (STUDY 1) AND INTERVENTION (STUDY 2). STUDY 1 INCLUDED 110 PARTICIPANTS WITH A MEDIAN (SD) AGE OF 64.9 (9.4) YEARS WHO WERE MOSTLY MALE (99%) CANCER SURVIVORS WHO WERE INTERVIEWED 12 MONTHS AFTER THEIR CANCER DIAGNOSIS. STUDY 2 INCLUDED 28 PARTICIPANTS WITH A MEDIAN (SD) AGE OF 69.2 (10.9) YEARS WHO WERE MOSTLY MALE (96%) CANCER SURVIVORS WHO PARTICIPATED IN A YOGA PROGRAM WITHIN 3 YEARS OF THEIR CANCER DIAGNOSIS. STANDARDIZED INTERVIEWS ASSESSED INTEREST IN AND BARRIERS TO YOGA WHILE SELF-REPORTING ASSESSED HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE AND BELIEFS ABOUT YOGA. RESULTS: IN STUDY 1, INTEREST IN YOGA INCREASED FROM 5.5 TO 31.8% (CHI (2) = 22.25, P < .001) FOLLOWING EDUCATION. IN OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS 4 THEMES RELATED TO NEGATIVE BELIEFS OR BARRIERS EMERGED: LACK OF KNOWLEDGE OR SKEPTICISM, DISINTEREST OR DISLIKE, PHYSICAL HEALTH BARRIERS, AND LOGISTICAL BARRIERS. IN STUDY 2, BELIEFS WERE MORE POSITIVE FOLLOWING INTERVENTION FOR EXPECTED BENEFITS (T = 4.44, P < .001), DISCOMFORT (T = 4.92, P < .001), AND SOCIAL NORMS (T = 4.38, P < .001) RELATED TO YOGA. PHYSICAL FUNCTION IMPROVED AFTER PARTICIPATION IN A YOGA CLASS, ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE WITH HIGHER BELIEFS IN YOGA PRIOR TO CLASS. AGE WAS NOT ASSOCIATED WITH BELIEFS ABOUT YOGA IN EITHER SAMPLE. CONCLUSIONS: A PORTION OF OLDER VETERANS WHO ARE CANCER SURVIVORS WERE INTERESTED IN YOGA BUT FACED ACCESS BARRIERS. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE AND RESEARCH INCLUDE INCREASING KNOWLEDGE ABOUT YOGA BENEFITS AND ADDRESSING PHYSICAL HEALTH AND LOGISTICAL BARRIERS TO ENHANCE ACCESS TO YOGA FOR OLDER VETERANS. 2021 16 273 24 ADDING A FACEBOOK SUPPORT GROUP TO AN ONLINE YOGA RANDOMIZED TRIAL FOR WOMEN WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED STILLBIRTH: A FEASIBILITY STUDY. OBJECTIVES: WOMEN WHO EXPERIENCE STILLBIRTH ARE MORE LIKELY TO DEVELOP POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD), AND ANXIOUS AND DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS THAN THOSE WHO DELIVER LIVE HEALTHY BABIES. PARTICIPANTS IN A RECENT STUDY OF ONLINE YOGA (OY) REPORTED A DESIRE FOR MORE SOCIAL SUPPORT, WHICH MAY HELP REDUCE PTSD RELATED TO GRIEF AND AID IN COPING. FACEBOOK (FB) HAS BEEN USED SUCCESSFULLY TO DELIVER SUPPORT FOR ONLINE INTERVENTIONS, BUT LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT ITS USE IN CONJUNCTION WITH OY. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO EXAMINE THE FEASIBILITY OF A FB SUPPORT GROUP IN CONJUNCTION WITH AN 8-WEEK OY INTERVENTION. DESIGN: RANDOMIZED PARALLEL FEASIBILITY TRIAL WITH A 1:1 STUDY GROUP ALLOCATION RATIO. SETTING/LOCATION: ONLINE. SUBJECTS: WOMEN (N = 60) WHO EXPERIENCED STILLBIRTH WITHIN THE PAST 3 YEARS. INTERVENTIONS: PARTICIPANTS WERE RECRUITED NATIONALLY TO PARTICIPATE AND RANDOMIZED INTO ONE OF TWO GROUPS: OY ONLY (N = 30) OR ONLINE YOGA WITH FACEBOOK (OYFB) (N = 30). BOTH GROUPS WERE ASKED TO COMPLETE 60 MIN OF OY PER WEEK. WOMEN IN THE OY GROUP WERE ASKED TO LOG ON TO A FB PAGE AT LEAST ONCE PER WEEK. OUTCOME MEASURES: ACCEPTABILITY (I.E., SATISFACTION) AND DEMAND (I.E., ATTENDANCE), PTSD, ANXIETY, DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS, SOCIAL SUPPORT. RESULTS: PARTICIPANTS WERE SATISFIED WITH AND ENJOYED OY, AND 8/13 FB ACCEPTABILITY BENCHMARKS WERE MET. THERE WERE NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN GROUPS IN MINUTES OF YOGA PER WEEK. CONCLUSIONS: THE ADDITION OF A FB GROUP TO AN OY INTERVENTION FOR WOMEN WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED STILLBIRTH IS FEASIBLE, ALTHOUGH MORE RESEARCH IS NEEDED TO INCREASE ITS EFFICACY. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT04077476. REGISTERED SEPTEMBER 4, 2019. RETROSPECTIVELY REGISTERED (HTTPS://CLINICALTRIALS.GOV/CT2/SHOW/NCT04077476). 2022 17 1196 18 EXAMINING THE ENERGY COST AND INTENSITY LEVEL OF PRENATAL YOGA. CONTEXT: A POPULAR FORM OF PREGNANCY PHYSICAL ACTIVITY (PA) IS PRENATAL YOGA. HOWEVER, LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT THE INTENSITY AND ENERGY COST OF THIS PRACTICE. AIMS: TO EXAMINE THE ENERGY COST AND INTENSITY LEVEL OF PRENATAL YOGA. METHODS: PREGNANT WOMEN IN A PRENATAL YOGA CLASS (N = 19) WORE A SENSE WEAR ARMBAND DURING ELEVEN 60 MIN CLASSES EACH, AND SELF-REPORTED DEMOGRAPHIC VARIABLES, HEIGHT AND WEIGHT, PREPREGNANCY WEIGHT, AND PA BEHAVIORS AND BELIEFS. SENSE WEAR ARMBAND DATA INCLUDED KILOCALORIES, METABOLIC EQUIVALENT (MET) VALUES, AND TIME SPENT IN VARIOUS INTENSITIES. DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS AND FREQUENCIES WERE UTILIZED TO DESCRIBE ENERGY EXPENDITURE AND INTENSITY. RESULTS: ENERGY EXPENDITURE AVERAGED 109 +/- 8 KCALS, AND THE AVERAGE MET VALUE WAS 1.5 +/- 0.02. ON AVERAGE, 93% AND 7% OF CLASSES WERE SEDENTARY AND MODERATE INTENSITY PA, RESPECTIVELY. CONCLUSIONS: TIME SPENT IN A PRENATAL YOGA CLASS WAS CONSIDERED TO BE PRIMARILY A SEDENTARY ACTIVITY. FUTURE RESEARCH SHOULD UTILIZE LARGER SAMPLES, PRACTICE TYPE, AND SKILL LEVEL TO INCREASE GENERALIZABILITY. 2016 18 563 24 CROSS-SECTIONAL ANALYSIS OF HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE AND ELEMENTS OF YOGA PRACTICE. BACKGROUND: MIND-BODY PRACTICES SUCH AS YOGA HAVE BEEN STUDIED FOR THEIR GENERALLY POSITIVE EFFECTS ON HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE (HRQOL). THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN HOW A PERSON PRACTICES YOGA AND THE PERSON'S HRQOL IS NOT KNOWN. MATERIALS AND METHODS: YOGA PRACTITIONERS WERE SENT INVITATIONS TO PARTICIPATE IN AN ONLINE SURVEY VIA EMAIL. YOGA CHARACTERISTICS, HRQOL, AND OTHER SOCIODEMOGRAPHICS WERE COLLECTED. ANALYSES OF DATA FROM 309 CONSENTING RESPONDERS EVALUATED ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN YOGA PRACTICE CHARACTERISTICS (USE OF YOGA TOOLS, LENGTH OF PRACTICE, LOCATION, METHOD, ETC.) AND THE 10-ITEM PROMIS GLOBAL HEALTH SCALE FOR BOTH PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH COMPONENTS. RESULTS: MULTIVARIABLE REGRESSION MODELS DEMONSTRATED HIGHER MENTAL HEALTH SCORES WERE ASSOCIATED WITH REGULAR MEDITATION PRACTICE, HIGHER INCOME, AND THE METHOD OF PRACTICING IN A COMMUNITY GROUP CLASS (VERSUS ONE-ON-ONE). HIGHER PHYSICAL HEALTH SCORES WERE ASSOCIATED WITH LENGTH OF LIFETIME PRACTICE, TEACHER STATUS, KRISHNAMACHARYA YOGA STYLE, AND PRACTICING IN A YOGA SCHOOL/STUDIO (VERSUS AT HOME). CONCLUSIONS: MEDITATION PRACTICE IN YOGA IS POSITIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH MENTAL HEALTH. LENGTH OF LIFETIME YOGA PRACTICE WAS SIGNIFICANTLY ASSOCIATED WITH BETTER PHYSICAL HEALTH, SUGGESTING YOGA HAS A POTENTIAL CUMULATIVE BENEFIT OVER TIME. DIFFERENT LOCATIONS AND METHODS OF PRACTICE MAY BE ASSOCIATED WITH VARYING EFFECTS ON HEALTH OUTCOMES. COMPARATIVE CROSS-SECTIONAL AND LONGITUDINAL STUDIES ON THE VARIATIONS IN YOGA PRACTICE ARE NEEDED TO FURTHER CHARACTERIZE HEALTH BENEFITS OF YOGA. 2017 19 2696 18 YOGA INSTRUCTORS' REPORTED BENEFITS AND DISADVANTAGES ASSOCIATED WITH FUNCTIONING ONLINE: A CONVENIENCE SAMPLING SURVEY. BACKGROUND: AMONG NUMEROUS CHANGES IN RESPONSE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, MOST YOGA CLASSES HAVE REPOSITIONED ONLINE. HOWEVER BENEFITS, DIFFICULTIES AND SATISFACTION OF TEACHING YOGA ONLINE REMAIN TO BE STUDIED. WITH THIS BACKGROUND THE PRESENT SURVEY AIMED TO DETERMINE: (I) BENEFITS, DISADVANTAGES AND SATISFACTION OF TEACHING YOGA ONLINE AND (II) THEIR ASSOCIATION WITH CHARACTERISTICS RELATED TO (A) SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHIC, (B) ONLINE YOGA TEACHING EXPERIENCE AND (C) YOGA PRACTICE. METHODS: THREE HUNDRED AND FIVE YOGA INSTRUCTORS WERE INVITED TO TAKE PART IN THE ONLINE SURVEY. OF THESE, 181 (M:F = 98:83) RESPONDED TO THE SURVEY SATISFACTORILY AND WERE INCLUDED. RESULTS: THE THREE MOST COMMON BENEFITS OF TEACHING YOGA ONLINE WERE: (I) A SENSE OF SAFETY FROM RISK OF COVID-19 (93.92%), (II) COST SAVING (82.87%) AND (III) WIDER ACCESS TO TRAINEES WITHIN INDIA (77.90%). THE THREE MOST COMMON DISADVANTAGES WERE: (I) TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES (74.03%), (II) MISSING IN-PERSON CONTACT (63.90%) AND (III) CONCERN THAT ONLINE INSTRUCTIONS CAN LEAD TO INJURY (59.16%). AROUND 66.30% RESPONDENTS WERE SATISFIED WITH THE MONITORING OF TRAINEES DURING ONLINE YOGA CLASSES WHILE 70.16% RESPONDENTS WERE SATISFIED WITH THE LEVEL OF ATTENTION THEY COULD PAY TO THE TOPIC THEY WERE TEACHING DURING ONLINE YOGA CLASS. THE BENEFITS AND DISADVANTAGES OF TEACHING YOGA ONLINE VARIED WITH THE CHARACTERISTICS OF YOGA INSTRUCTORS (P < 0.05, CHI2 TEST). CONCLUSIONS: THE BENEFITS AND DISADVANTAGES OF TEACHING YOGA ONLINE ARE OF RELEVANCE DURING AND BEYOND THE PANDEMIC. CHARACTERISTICS RELATED TO (I) SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHICS, (II) ONLINE YOGA TEACHING AND (III) YOGA PRACTICE INFLUENCE REPORTED BENEFITS AND DISADVANTAGES OF TEACHING YOGA ONLINE. 2022 20 1807 21 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