Auguste Elizabeth J, Weiskittle Rachel E, Sohl Stephanie J, Danhauer Suzanne C, Doherty Kelly, Naik Aanand D, Moye Jennifer
is a Research Assistant; is an Advanced Fellow; is a Health Science Specialist; and is Associate Director for Education and Evaluation; all at US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) New England Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, VA Boston Healthcare System in Massachusetts. is a Assistant Professor, and is a Professor and Director of Faculty Well-Being & Resilience, both at the Department of Social Sciences & Health Policy, Division of Public Health Sciences, Wake Forest School of Medicine in Winston Salem, North Carolina. is Chief of Implementation Science at the VA Health Services Research and Development Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness and Safety at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center and a Professor and Robert Luchi, MD Chair in Geriatric Medicine at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. Rachel Weiskittle is a Research Fellow and Jennifer Moye is a Professor, both at the Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School.
Fed Pract. 2021 Oct;38(10):450-458. doi: 10.12788/fp.0180.
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.
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.
In study 1, interest in yoga increased from 5.5 to 31.8% ( = 22.25, < .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 ( = 4.44, < .001), discomfort ( = 4.92, < .001), and social norms ( = 4.38, < .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.
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.
瑜伽是一种针对癌症幸存者的有效临床干预措施。大多数关于瑜伽对癌症患者积极影响的研究主要报道的是患有乳腺癌的中年女性。对于老年人、退伍军人以及来自不同种族或族裔背景的人群中瑜伽的使用情况，我们了解得较少。
我们研究了在癌症康复后的老年退伍军人中增加瑜伽可及性的策略，重点关注教育（研究1）和干预（研究2）。研究1纳入了110名参与者，年龄中位数（标准差）为64.9（9.4）岁，他们大多为男性（99%），是癌症幸存者，在癌症诊断后12个月接受了访谈。研究2纳入了28名参与者，年龄中位数（标准差）为69.2（10.9）岁，他们大多为男性（96%），是癌症幸存者，在癌症诊断后3年内参加了一个瑜伽项目。标准化访谈评估了对瑜伽的兴趣和障碍，而自我报告评估了与健康相关的生活质量以及对瑜伽的信念。
在研究1中，接受教育后对瑜伽的兴趣从5.5%增加到了31.8%（ = 22.25， <.001）。在开放式问题中，出现了4个与负面信念或障碍相关的主题：知识缺乏或怀疑、不感兴趣或不喜欢、身体健康障碍以及后勤障碍。在研究2中，干预后与瑜伽相关的预期益处（ = 4.44， <.001）、不适（ = 4.92， <.001）和社会规范（ = 4.38， <.001）方面的信念更为积极。参加瑜伽课程后身体功能有所改善，尤其是对于那些在课程开始前对瑜伽信念较高的人。在两个样本中，年龄与对瑜伽的信念均无关联。
一部分癌症康复的老年退伍军人对瑜伽感兴趣，但面临可及性障碍。对实践和研究的启示包括增加对瑜伽益处的了解，并解决身体健康和后勤障碍，以提高老年退伍军人对瑜伽的可及性。
