BACKGROUND: There are limited data on the characteristics of yoga users in the U.S. OBJECTIVE:To characterize yoga users, medical reasons for use, perceptions of helpfulness, and disclosure of use to medical professionals. METHODS:Utilizing cross-sectional survey data from the 2002 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) Alternative Medicine Supplement (n=31044), we examined correlates of yoga use for health. The estimated prevalence from 2002 NHIS of yoga for health was 5.1% corresponding to over 10 million adults. RESULTS:In 2002, yoga users were predominately Caucasian (85%) and female (76%) with a mean age of 39.5 years. Compared to non-yoga users, yoga users were more likely female (OR 3.76, 95% CI 3.11-4.33); less likely black than white (OR 0.65, 95% CI 0.53-0.80); tended to be younger; and more likely college educated (OR 2.70, 95% CI 2.37-3.08). Musculoskeletal conditions (OR 1.61, 95% CI 1.42-1.83), mental health conditions (OR 1.43, 95% CI 1.22-1.67), severe sprains in the last 12 months (OR 1.49, 95% CI 1.22-1.81), and asthma (OR 1.27, 95% CI 1.05-1.54) were independently associated with higher yoga use, while hypertension (OR 0.78, 95% CI 0.64-0.95) and chronic obstructive lung disease (OR 0.69, 95% CI 0.48-1.00) were associated with lower use. Yoga was most commonly used to treat musculoskeletal or mental health conditions, and most users reported yoga to be helpful for these conditions. A majority of yoga users (61%) felt yoga was important in maintaining health, though only 25% disclosed yoga practice to their medical professional. CONCLUSIONS:We found that yoga users are more likely to be white, female, young and college educated. Yoga users report benefit for musculoskeletal conditions and mental health, indicating that further research on the efficacy of yoga for the treatment and/or prevention of these conditions is warranted.KEY WORDS: yoga; complementary and alternative medicine (CAM); behavioral medicine.

Objective-Evaluate the evidence for clinical applications of yoga among the pediatric population.Methods-We conducted an electronic literature search including CINAHL, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), EMBASE, Medline, PsycINFO, and manual search of retrieved articles from inception of database until December 2008. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and non-randomized controlled trials (NRCTs) were selected including yoga or yoga-based interventions for individuals aged from 0 to 21 years of age. Data were extracted and articles critically reviewed utilizing a modified Jadad score and descriptive methodological criteria with summarization in tables.Results-Thirty four controlled studies were identified published from 1979 to 2008, with 19 RCTS and 15 NRCTs. Many studies were of low methodological quality. Clinical areas for which yoga has been studied include physical fitness, cardio-respiratory effects, motor skills/strength, mental health and psychological disorders, behavior and development, irritable bowel syndrome, and birth outcomes following prenatal yoga. No adverse events were reported in trials reviewed. While a large majority of studies were positive, methodological limitations such as randomization methods, withdrawal/dropouts, and details of yoga intervention preclude conclusive evidence.Conclusions-There are limited data on the clinical applications of yoga among the pediatric population. Most published controlled trials were suggestive of benefit, but results are preliminary based on low quantity and quality of trials. Further research of yoga for children utilizing a higher standard of methodology and reporting is warranted.

WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS:We conducted this study to describe factors associated with pediatric CAM use, including sociodemographic factors, medical conditions, prescription medication use, absence from school resulting from illness, and access to health care. abstract BACKGROUND: Limited data are available on the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and factors associated with use among the pediatric population in the United States. METHODS:Using the 2007 National Health Interview Survey data among individuals Ͻ18 years of age (n ϭ 9417), we compared CAM users (excluding those using vitamins and minerals) and non-CAM users. Using bivariable and multivariable logistic regression models, we examined independent associations of CAM use with sociodemographic factors, prescription medication use, delays in health care caused by access difficulties, and common medical conditions/symptoms. RESULTS:In an adjusted multivariable logistic model, CAM users were more likely than non-CAM users to be adolescents rather than infants or toddlers (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]

Background Little is known in the United States about those who practice t’ai chi and qigong, two mind–body techniques that originated in Asia. Objective The objective of this study is to characterize use of t’ai chi and qigong for health with regard to sociodemographics, health status, medical conditions, perceptions of helpfulness, and disclosure of use to medical professionals. Methods We analyzed associations of t’ai chi and qigong use for health using cross-sectional data from the 2002 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) Alternative Medicine Supplement (n = 31,044). The 2002 NHIS estimated the number of t’ai chi and qigong users for health to be 2.5 and 0.5 million persons, respectively. We collapsed t’ai chi and qigong use into a single category (TCQ) for analysis, representing 2.8 million individuals. Results We found that neither age nor sex was associated with TCQ use. TCQ users were more likely than nonusers to be Asian than white (odds ratio [OR] 2.02, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.30–3.15), college educated (OR 2.44, 95% CI 1.97–3.03), and less likely to live in the Midwest (OR 0.64, 95% CI 0.42–0.96) or the southern United States (OR 0.51, 95% CI 0.36–0.72) than the West. TCQ use was associated independently with higher reports of musculoskeletal conditions (OR 1.43, 95% CI 1.11–1.83), severe sprains (OR 1.65, 95% CI 1.14–2.40), and asthma (OR 1.50, 95% CI 1.08–2.10). Half of TCQ users also used yoga for health in the last 12 months. Most TCQ users reported their practice to be important to maintain health, but only a quarter of users disclosed their practice to a medical professional. Conclusions In the United States, TCQ is practiced for health by a diverse population, and users report benefits for maintaining health. Further research is needed to establish efficacy and safety for target populations, including those with musculoskeletal and pulmonary disease, as well as for preventive health.

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Background Use of complementary and alternative medical (CAM) therapies is common among adults with mental health concerns, but little is known about CAM use among adolescents with mental health concerns. Methods Data from the 2007 National Health Interview Survey were analyzed for youth from 7–17 years old. The study focused on three common mental health conditions: attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety, and depression. CAM use was identified by criteria from the National Institutes of Health National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NIH NCCAM). Results In a sample of 5651 individuals, representing seven million youth, with one or more mental health concerns in the past 12 months, 28.9% used one or more types of CAM excluding vitamins/minerals. In contrast, only 11.6% of those without mental health concerns reported CAM use (P<0.05). Among youth with one or more mental health conditions, the most commonly used CAM therapies were mind-body therapies (16.3%) and biologically-based therapies (11%); use was higher for therapies that could be directly accessed (18.6%), than for therapies delivered in groups (11.8%) or through a health professional (10.2%). In the multivariable regression model, demographic factors significantly associated with CAM use were higher household income, higher parental education, having other chronic health conditions, use of prescription medications, and difficulty affording mental health counseling. Conclusion Readily accessible CAM therapies are commonly used by youth with ADHD, depression, and anxiety, particularly those who have co-morbid chronic health conditions, take prescription medications, and difficulty affording counseling. Clinicians can use this data to guide inquiries and counseling. Researchers should explore the longitudinal relationship between access to coordinated care within a medical home and use of CAM therapies among youth with mental health concerns. What’s New Use of CAM is more than twice as common among youth with mental health concerns as those without. Among youth with mental health conditions, use is associated with presence of co-morbidities, prescription medication use, and difficulty affording counseling, perhaps reflecting higher health care utilization and inability to seek conventional care due to cost.

CAM use among pregnancy similar to women who are not pregnant, while postpartum CAM use decreases. Further evaluation of CAM therapies among pregnant and postpartum women is necessary to determine the costs and benefits of integrative CAM therapies in conventional care.

Among patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD), few studies have examined the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and patients' interest in learning mind-body interventions to address health issues. We surveyed 89 adult patients (response rate 84%) at an outpatient hemodialysis center in Brookline, MA, USA regarding the utilization of CAM, including mind-body practices, and willingness to learn mind-body practices. Of respondents, 47% were female, 63% were black, and mean age was 62 years. 61% reported using CAM for health in their lifetime, and 36% reported using CAM within a month of the survey. The most frequent CAM modalities reported in ones' lifetime and in the last month were mind-body practices (42% and 27%, resp.). Overall lifetime CAM use did not differ significantly by sex, race, dialysis vintage, diagnosis of ESRD, employment status, or education level. Subjects reported that mind-body interactions were very important to health with a median score of 9 on a 10-point Likert scale (ranging from 0 for not important to 10 for extremely important). Most patients (74%) reported interest in learning mind-body practices during maintenance hemodialysis. In summary, CAM use, particularly mind-body practice, is frequent among patients with ESRD providing opportunities for future clinical research.