A Review of Yoga Programs for Four Leading Risk Factors of Chronic Diseases

Yoga, a form of physical activity, is rapidly gaining in popularity and has many health benefits. Yet healthcare providers have been slow to recognize yoga for its ability to improve health conditions, and few interventions have been developed that take full advantage of its benefits. The purpose of this article is to review published studies using yoga programs and to determine the effect of yoga interventions on common risk factors of chronic diseases (overweight, hypertension, high glucose level and high cholesterol). A systematic search yielded 32 articles published between 1980 and April 2007. The studies found that yoga interventions are generally effective in reducing body weight, blood pressure, glucose level and high cholesterol, but only a few studies examined long-term adherence. Additionally, not enough studies included diverse populations at high risk for diabetes and its related common health problems

Understanding Cultural Issues in the Diabetes Self-Management Behaviors of Korean Immigrants

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to explore potential factors affecting self-management behaviors in Korean immigrants with type 2 diabetes mellitus (KIT2Ds). METHODS: A qualitative descriptive design guided this study. Semi-structured interviews lasting 45-60 minutes were conducted with 20 KIT2Ds in the participant’s preferred language; in all cases this was Korean. Each interview was audio-taped, transcribed, and analyzed using conventional content analysis. Data analysis was performed in two steps. The data written in Korean were initially analyzed by three bilingual researchers. A qualitative researcher then participated in the analysis to refine the findings for presentation to an English speaking audience while staying true to the data and preserving the nuanced Korean meanings. RESULTS: The mean age of the sample was 64. 5 ± 11.6 years (9 men and 11 women). The mean years of staying in the U. S. and age at diabetes mellitus diagnosis were 23.6 ± 9.7 years and 52.5 ± 12.3 years, respectively. Three major ideas were identified: (a) issues on treatment regimen related to both medications and diet, (b) resources that helped or hindered their ability to manage diabetes, and (c) the physician/patient relationship. CONCLUSIONS: There were important cultural nuances that need to be addressed to better prepare KIT2Ds to manage their diabetes more effectively. A culture specific program should extend beyond a diabetes self-management education delivered in Korean language. Rather, content and education methods need to consider acculturation effects on diabetes management behaviors

Original Article Utilization of 3-Month Yoga Program for Adults at High Risk for Type 2 Diabetes: A Pilot Study

Various modes of physical activity, combined with dieting, have been widely recommended to prevent or delay type 2 diabetes. Among these, yoga holds promise for reducing risk factors for type 2 diabetes by promoting weight loss, improving glucose levels and reducing blood pressure and lipid levels. This pilot study aimed to assess the feasibility of implementing a 12-week yoga program among adults at high risk for type 2 diabetes. Twenty-three adults (19 Whites and 4 non-Whites) were randomly assigned to the yoga intervention group or the educational group. The yoga group participated in a 3-month yoga intervention with sessions twice per week and the educational group received general health educational materials every 2 weeks. All participants completed questionnaires and had blood tests at baseline and at the end of 3 months. Effect sizes were reported to summarize the efficacy of the intervention. All participants assigned to the yoga intervention completed the yoga program without complication and expressed high satisfaction with the program (99.2%). Their yoga session attendance ranged from 58.3 to 100%. Compared with the education group, the yoga group experienced improvements in weight, blood pressure, insulin, triglycerides and exercise self-efficacy indicated by small to large effect sizes. This preliminary study indicates that a yoga program would be a possible risk reduction option for adults at high risk for type 2 diabetes. In addition, yoga holds promise as an approach to reducing cardiometabolic risk factors and increasing exercise self-efficacy for this group

Physical activities among Korean midlife immigrant women in the U.S.

textThe purpose of the study was to examine the relationships among individual characteristics (age, acculturation, income, education, and marital status), cognition and affect (exercise self-efficacy, perceived barriers/benefits, and social support for exercise), and physical activity (total activity, household/caring activity, occupational activity, daily active living habits, and sports/exercise activity) among Korean midlife immigrant women. A healthpromotion model of physical activity was adapted from Pender’s Health Promotion Model to guide this study. A non-probability sample of 121 Korean midlife immigrants was recruited by flyers in Korean communities in Central Texas. Bivariate correlations and a series of regression analyses were conducted using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 12.0. According to the findings, acculturation was not significantly related to physical activity. Level of education was significantly and negatively related to occupational activity and positively related to sports/exercise activity. Married women reported more activity in sports/exercise than those who were not currently married. As observed in previous research, cognition and affect (higher self-efficacy, lower perceived barriers, higher perceived benefits, and higher social support) were significantly related to higher levels of physical activity. There are three mediation effects of cognition/affect in the relationship between marital status (whether married or not) and sports/exercise activity. Marital status was significantly related to sports/exercise activity, but when perceived benefits and total social support were controlled in separate analyses, the variance in sports/exercise activity explained by marital status decreased each time. When spouse support was controlled in regressing sports/exercise activity on marital status, marital status did not explain any variation of the dependent variable, which is a condition for a mediation effect. This study adds to our knowledge about physical activity among Korean immigrant midlife women. Acculturation did not play an important role in the women’s involvement in physical activity. Nevertheless, the study provides meaningful information in a research area that few other studies have addressed. Among individual characteristics, income and marital status were significantly related to cognition and affect and sports/exercise activity. In addition, the relationships between cognition and affect and sports/exercise activity supported the health-promotion model of physical activity.Nursin

sj-docx-1-hej-10.1177_00178969241232222 – Supplemental material for Increasing compliance with public health guidelines among adolescents: Lessons for the future from the US COVID-19 pandemic

Supplemental material, sj-docx-1-hej-10.1177_00178969241232222 for Increasing compliance with public health guidelines among adolescents: Lessons for the future from the US COVID-19 pandemic by Young-Shin Lee, Hee-Jin Jun, Kyeongra Yang and Kim Moreno in Health Education Journal</p

Health-related quality of life among participants in the SMART weight loss trial

Obesity has been associated with a decreased health-related quality of life (HRQoL); however, the association between weight change and HRQoL is unclear. This secondary analysis of the SMART (Self Monitoring And Recording using Technology) trial, a clinical trial of behavioral weight loss treatment, provides evidence that quality of life improves with weight loss. © 2012 Elsevier Inc