TY - JOUR
T1 - Perceptions of a community-based yoga intervention for older adults
AU - Patel, Neela K.
AU - Akkihebbalu, Sreedhara
AU - Espinoza, Sara E.
AU - Chiodo, Laura K.
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported by the Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, Bureau of Health Professions, and The John A. Hartford Foundation Center for Excellence in Geriatrics Education. The authors wish to thank Dr. Michael J. Lichtenstein, Dr. Michael L. Parchman, Dr. J. Taylor Harden, Dr. David V. Espino, Dr. Cynthia Alford, Dr. S. Liliana Oakes, and Dr. Ann H. Newstead for their contributions to the development of this manuscript. The authors also thank Johanna Becho for her technical editing contributions to the manuscript. This study would not have been possible without the support of the director of Bihl Haus Arts and the residents of Monticello Park. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this work was reported.
Funding Information:
Research was supported by the Bureau of Health Professions, Health Resources and Services Administration, Department of Health and Human Services D01 HP08795; The John A. Hartford Foundation Center for Excellence in Geriatrics Education, Bihl Haus Arts, San Antonio, Texas.
PY - 2011/4
Y1 - 2011/4
N2 - Self-reported effects of yoga among older adults in an independent-living retirement community are presented. Weekly 60-minute beginner Iyengar yoga classes tailored to individual functional levels using props were conducted. Classes included stretching, flexibility, endurance, balance, and relaxation. Preand postintervention perceptions by focus-group discussions and key informant interviews were conducted at baseline, 12 weeks, and 1 year. Twelve older persons age 65-89 (majority Hispanic) voluntarily participated. A grounded theory approach was used to generate the biopsychosocial model of health from the qualitative data collected. Perceived benefits included improved gait and balance, decreased pain, decreased need for medications and decreased stress, improved sleep, less anxiety and depression, increased mobility, increased self-awareness, and a greater sense of peace. No adverse events were reported. Caregiving obligations, relocation, and perceived interference with religious beliefs hindered the subjects' ability to fully participate. Older adults' perceived yoga benefits extended to mental, psychosocial, and spiritual health. Caregiving obligations and religious belief conflicts deserve further exploration in future yoga interventions for recruitment and retention of participants.
AB - Self-reported effects of yoga among older adults in an independent-living retirement community are presented. Weekly 60-minute beginner Iyengar yoga classes tailored to individual functional levels using props were conducted. Classes included stretching, flexibility, endurance, balance, and relaxation. Preand postintervention perceptions by focus-group discussions and key informant interviews were conducted at baseline, 12 weeks, and 1 year. Twelve older persons age 65-89 (majority Hispanic) voluntarily participated. A grounded theory approach was used to generate the biopsychosocial model of health from the qualitative data collected. Perceived benefits included improved gait and balance, decreased pain, decreased need for medications and decreased stress, improved sleep, less anxiety and depression, increased mobility, increased self-awareness, and a greater sense of peace. No adverse events were reported. Caregiving obligations, relocation, and perceived interference with religious beliefs hindered the subjects' ability to fully participate. Older adults' perceived yoga benefits extended to mental, psychosocial, and spiritual health. Caregiving obligations and religious belief conflicts deserve further exploration in future yoga interventions for recruitment and retention of participants.
KW - Older adults
KW - Perceptions
KW - Yoga
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=79959226749&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=79959226749&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/01924788.2011.574256
DO - 10.1080/01924788.2011.574256
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:79959226749
SN - 0192-4788
VL - 35
SP - 151
EP - 163
JO - Activities, Adaptation and Aging
JF - Activities, Adaptation and Aging
IS - 2
ER -